CHAPTER 8: SPECTUALATION

Ray had inherited the memories of the original owner, but there was not a single mention, not the faintest hint, of him being poisoned within those memories.

As a result, he hadn’t realized that he was carrying within him a deadly, silent threat that could reduce him to a fool until he received the system and checked the character panel that displayed his status and laid bare his condition.

"The original owner was secretly poisoned."

In his mind, the suspect’s identity rose unbidden.

The mine owner.

There was more than mere guesswork behind Ray’s certainty.

The only person the original owner had ever truly offended... was the mine owner. Besides, the soul-dissipating poison was lethal not only to ordinary mortals but also to beast tamers from the initial iron rank all the way up to the advanced iron rank, so it was costly, rare, and difficult to obtain, the kind of weapon only the wealthy and well-connected could hope to get their hands on, and if anyone in White Sparrow Town matched that description, it was the mine owner.

"The tricky part is figuring out how the poison had been administered to the original owner without his knowledge. After all, the soul dissipating poison is neither scentless nor formless," Ray mused, thinking for a moment before coming to a conclusion.

"What if unnoticeable traces were mixed into his food? Over a month or two, it could accumulate to a point where his very soul would begin to scatter."

There had been only one time when the original owner had been vulnerable enough, helpless enough, for such a scheme to work.

It was when he had been locked in a cell for two months, imprisoned for a crime he had not committed.

"The jailers must have been in on the assassination."

Tch!

Ray clicked his tongue, a flicker of cold fury in his eyes.

"Corruption is rampant in every sector of White Sparrow Town. What a shitty place to live in," Ray sighed internally as he was now part of this very society.

[Ding! A quest has been issued.]

[Hunt Demonic Beasts and Level Up]

[Reward: Complete Status Recovery (All your wounds will be healed. All your debuffs will be removed).]

[Time remaining: 12 hours]

"There’s a time limit? I wonder if it’s because the poison would take full effect in half a day."

His guess was correct. If he failed to act before the timer ran out, he would be reduced to nothing more than a pitiful fool.

"It looks like I’ll have to brave danger earlier than I thought."

He had been given a second chance at life, so there was no way he was going to waste it by lying down to die. He had every intention to struggle until his last breath!

Pushing back his chair, Ray stood up sharply and shouted across the room, "Who cooked the steak I was served? Who in god’s name cooked it?"

A tall, bald man with a thick, burly frame turned from behind the counter and fixed Ray with a sharp, questioning look.

"It was me. Why? Was it not to your liking?"

The man’s name was Barron. He had begun working in the kitchen as a boy, barely tall enough to reach the chopping block, forced to work after his father’s accident left the family destitute.

Cooking had been his sole livelihood, and he had embraced it with unyielding dedication.

Day after day, year after year, he had honed his craft with meticulous care, refining his skill until, after thirty years, he could confidently claim that none within a hundred miles could match him.

His entire life had been devoted to the art of cooking, and he took pride in every plate that left his hands. If Ray dared to insult his food, Barron would see it not as a complaint, but as a slap to his face.

Ray looked at him with a smile and quickly shook his head. "No, no... I loved it! It was the best steak I’ve ever had. I just wanted to thank you. You’ve made what might very well be the last meal of my life... unforgettable."

The raw honesty in Ray’s voice softened the lines in chef Barron’s weathered face, and his appreciation of his craft put a smile on his face.

"I don’t know what kind of crazy thing you are about to that will put your life at risk," Garron said gruffly, "but... good luck." Then, he added with a hint of warmth, "If you return alive, I’ll cook you another steak, free of charge."

"A perfect, mouth watering, and delicious steak... for free?" Ray felt motivated. "Then I have to come back alive!"

"Good luck, little brother!"

"Come back in one piece!"

"I hope I see you here again tomorrow. I’ll even buy you a drink!"

The surrounding patrons of the tavern, having overhead the exchange, also wished him well one after another as he was leaving the travern. In bad places, warm hearted scenes could play out too. Such has been the case since the beginning of human civilization.

At the door, Ray turned towards them and smiled.

"Everyone... thank you for your kind words. I shall take my leave. If fate allows it, we will share a drink here again."

With that, he left the tavern.

Outside, the air was sharp and cool.

He spent what little money the original owner had left to purchase a plain steel dagger from a weapon shop.

Then, without hesitation, he left the town.