Chapter 12 - Monsters of the Slum

Both of us flinched and tried to stay still. My heart rate increased, and Scarlet was sweating buckets.

"H-how could she know we were there?!" she hissed through clenched teeth. I placed my index finger to my mouth and signaled her to be quiet. She nodded hesitantly.

They stood there, mirroring each other's pose. "Sigh, we won't scam you into signing a paper, just come out," Lepa raised her hands up, revealing the lack of weapons. "No need for violence."

"It's okay," the other bunny, the blonde, said to me. "We won't attack, you won't attack us. We're equal."

Slowly, we left the cover, revealing our appearance to the two.

"Huh? What are you?" Lepa rubbed her head, analyzing my horns. "Don't think I've ever seen a horned beauty like you."

"Who are you girls?" I asked, looking between them.

"Well, I'm Lepa," she stated confidently. She pushed out her chest, showing off the lumps, and puffed her tail. "And she's Lepu, my twin. So, how can we help?" She smiled with a pleasant face.

I had to admit, they were nice-looking girls. Definitely had charm, the type to entice and draw in males. They seemed innocent, despite being thieves. My heart still palpitated, unsure what to make of the current situation. Was this a trap, or a genuine concern?

"What is this place? Why is it different from the slums outside? You scamming people and robbing them of their money and livelihood, but still appear normal?" Scarlet questioned.

"Now, now. It's not as bad as you think," Lepu assured us, putting her hands behind her. "Aren't you two devils or something? How about we help each other out?"

Scarlet eyed her closely. "Why should we trust you two?"

"Hey, hey, how come you almost seem scared of us when we should be scared of you?" Lepa quizzed. "We only take from the rich, corrupt assholes, to be frank."

I peered at the two girls. The fact that we got caught by them isn't too ideal. Plus, their whole act seemed way too good. Like a perfect con artist. Would it benefit me to accept their offer and have their assistance in Orda and later in the underworld?

"I see," Scarlet answered. "Then we'll take a leave. Don't worry, we can't even tell anyone about what we saw in the first place since we're devils. Neither do we care about some crime in a human city. Your operation won't come to an end," she assured.

I narrowed my eyes at Scarlet; she must have seen something suspicious. But I didn't object, leaving the choice to her.

"Actually," Lepu said, stopping me in my steps, "You know, how about we make a deal? We need help with something."

I raised a brow. "What do you mean?"

"There are some weird monsters roaming around here. We've never seen monsters like those since we rarely leave the slums. Could you help us beat them up?" she explained, moving her head to one side. "They're stirring a bit of trouble outside."

"And what do we get in return?" I asked.

She shrugged her shoulder. "Whatever you wish."

Scarlet and I looked at each other. If we were fighting monsters, I'd surely level up and gain more power. And even if the battle turned unfavorable for me, we'll simply retreat. "How strong are they?"

"Not particularly strong, but it's their numbers we're worried about. They appeared out of nowhere not so long ago, but their numbers have multiplied greatly. If we don't take care of them now, they keep increasing numbers."

I decided to give their suggestion a try. "Deal, we'll clear them out."

"T-That's a bit too dangerous. Alexis, are you sure?" Scarlet tugged my skirt and asked in a hushed tone.

"I'll have to grow stronger one way or another. Even if we get scammed, we still get experience and levels."

"But what if it's a trap? It smells like trouble."

Lepa rolled her eyes, seemingly aware of the conversation happening before her. "Really now?" she scoffed.

"Oh no, it isn't a trap," Lepu argued, shaking her head. "We really don't know what's going on. Do you think we'd try and seduce a succubus like you into a trap? No, that's impossible."

"Humph, fine," Scarlet surrendered and went forward to meet the two bunnies. "Just be careful, Your Highness. If they do anything suspicious, we'll run away."

"Fine with me," I said and waved my hand. "You girls are pretty and seductive, not gonna lie."

Lepa smirked a little. "Of course we're attractive! There's a reason we're so popular with our victims," she crossed her arms beneath her tits. "Anyway, we'd better move."

I took the lead as Lepu explained where the creatures had last been seen and we followed her direction. Before we knew it, the whole mood changed again, and the foulness of the slums permeated our senses, forcing us to cover our faces with cloth in hopes of easing the reek.

"Man, I hate this place. You girls hate it too, huh?"

"Whether we hate it or not, it's where we live and grew up. We're sort of used to it," she replied.

The two sisters walked ahead with their confident strides. "Don't fall behind, you guys. Come." Lepa tugged my hand as we crossed the border from the shabby neighborhood into what appeared to be an old village. Only broken-down buildings and ruins lay ahead, with dirt paths connecting the different sections. "It was an old settlement in this region. Look, it's full of these weird monsters," Lepu stated.

My gaze caught sight of numerous gray, amorphous creatures with dozens of black tentacles wriggling around on the ground. They didn't move much, just waving their limbs about as they lay lazily amongst themselves. A few were actually on top of a larger one, sucking at its flesh. The sounds of the feeding reverberated through the streets.

"Ew, I'm gonna have to get my hands, dirty it seems," I said, disgusted with how grotesque the scene looked. "I guess I'll use the ranged weapons that Aztalr provides."

Lepa chuckled slightly. "Get ready, everyone!"