Squeak squeak-!
A rat as big as my forearm scurried past me.
Judging by how it wasn't afraid of people at all, this place must also be a domain for wild rats.
The back alley.
I was sitting in one corner.
It was damp, dark, and smelled foul due to the lack of light.
It felt as though my body was shivering, much like entering a military barracks.
Discarded bones, rat carcasses, and mold growing everywhere reminded me of exactly where I was.
The stark contrast with the bright streets just a few steps away deepened my sense of loss.
Perhaps the beggars living here had grown numb even to such feelings of despair.
"Hm."
I stood up and surveyed my surroundings.
A narrow alleyway, just wide enough for two people to pass through, stretched between buildings.
The paths were a chaotic maze, like an anthill, making it easy to get lost if you weren't careful.
'These guys are just watching.'
They probably thought they were hiding well, but they couldn't fool my senses.
Seven people were precisely surrounding me.
The beggars were merely observing and not making any moves yet.
The back alley was perpetually dark, making it impossible to tell the time.
I gazed at the street a few steps away.
Even that bright area was gradually darkening. Soon, night would fall, ending the time of the rich and ushering in the time of the back alley.
Those guys wouldn't make a move until then.
"Sigh."
I sat back down and leaned against the wall.
The fullness in my stomach was starting to fade, replaced by hunger pangs.
Perhaps because I was dressed like a beggar, I felt even hungrier. It wasn't like I was wearing military fatigues or anything.
'If I'd known this would happen, I should've brought some jerky.'
If I took out jerky now, would those guys pounce on me?
In any case, my undercover operation would only begin once they started moving.
There's no way to reach the king of the back alley without going through these beggars first.
'It's about to start.'
Before I knew it, darkness had enveloped the entire world.
Magic lamps lit up on the streets to provide faint illumination, but the back alley remained pitch black.
When visibility dropped to just a few meters ahead, I could feel their presence growing stronger.
"Who are you? Where'd you crawl out from?"
I closed my eyes and opened them again to adjust to the darkness but found myself surrounded in an instant.
Should I call this good teamwork?
"Aren't you going to answer? If you're new here, act like it. Otherwise, you won't survive."
The beggars sneered down at me as they spoke.
As much as I wanted to find out where their leader was right away, I had to act thoroughly like a beggar to meet him.
Standing up from my spot, I spoke irritably.
"Got any food?"
"Hah! Look at this guy. Asking for food right off the bat? Did you leave it with us or something?"
"You guys aren't starving either. Give me some food. I'm starving here."
"Kekeke! Don't worry; we'll make sure you die before you starve."
The initiation ritual began predictably.
I dodged a punch coming from my right by bending at the waist.
"Oh? This guy's pretty quick."
"This is too cliché. It's almost boring."
"Is that so? But what can we do? We live for hazing newbies!"
Suddenly, punches flew at me from all directions.
Since this was an undercover operation anyway, I considered letting myself get hit but quickly dismissed the thought.
Even as a champion, there's no way I could let myself get beaten up by beggars.
'I'll just go easy on them.'
After all, these guys were pitiable in their own way too.
Relaxing my body completely, I calmly counterattacked.
If they'd pulled out weapons instead of fists, I might've half-killed them. But their goal seemed more like stress relief disguised as an initiation ritual than anything else.
"Ugh!"
"Argh!"
I targeted less vulnerable areas like thighs, arms, and shoulders to minimize damage.
Despite holding back due to my strength level of 70, they still seemed quite hurt as they rolled on the ground groaning. Watching them writhe made me feel slightly guilty.
"You okay? Does it hurt a lot?"
"Damn…! Are you a psychopath?!"
"Well then why'd you pick a fight with just anyone? You could've just given me a piece of bread."
"How dare a newbie…! Do you think you'll get away with this?! You'll never survive here! Our organization will kill you without anyone knowing!"
An organization among beggars?
I chuckled softly at their words.
"Then maybe I'll just take over that organization."
"What… what did you say?"
"I've got nowhere else to go either. When someone's standing on the edge of a cliff, there's nothing they can't do."
"Haha! You must've been somewhere rough before coming here. But this place is on another level. Do you think I haven't seen guys like you before?"
"Maybe I held back too much if you're still talking."
Looks like they need another round before they come to their senses. Sometimes fists work better than words for communication.
"Hmm?!"
Just then, another presence approached rapidly from within the shadows...