Chapter 240: Why Do You Keep Knowing Things You're Not Supposed To Know?
In the small bar next to the inn—
The bald bartender squinted slightly as the familiar black-haired young man strolled in, this time accompanied by four girls dressed in rather eccentric outfits. With a friendly wave, the bartender greeted him.
"Out drinking this late at night?"
"Well, you see, I just happened to run into some new friends. A few drinks seemed like a good way to break the ice."
Steven casually pointed a thumb over his shoulder at the four girls trailing behind him, then strolled up to the counter and ordered a sparkling drink with lime, acting as if he owned the place.
"You guys order whatever you want," he said without looking back. "But you're paying for yourselves, just so we're clear."
Without waiting for a response, he picked up his drink and made his way to a cozy corner by the window, gesturing for the four girls—Alive Until Sunset band members—to join him.
None of the four showed much restraint. They each ordered a drink and gathered around Steven without any of the awkwardness one might expect. To a casual onlooker, it might've looked like Steven was some sort of playboy surrounded by beautiful women, but their interactions lacked even a hint of flirtation.
From behind the bar, the bald bartender narrowed his eyes at the girls, observing them carefully.
He didn't watch a lot of TV, but when he did, it was almost always music-related, so he recognized them immediately—Alive Until Sunset, a band with a modest yet solid reputation in the music scene.
So this mysterious guy—Steve, was it?—actually knew them?
This man's origins really were shrouded in mystery.
Despite his curiosity, the bartender knew better than to pry.
Since Steven hadn't chosen to sit at the counter, that probably meant he didn't want their conversation overheard. And as a bartender, he knew when to mind his own business.
With a small sigh, he set down the glass he'd been polishing and returned to watching the ongoing Kazimierz Major broadcast on the TV behind him, letting his questions quietly fade away.
Meanwhile, Steven looked around at the four girls seated around him.
They had introduced themselves earlier, but honestly, their English names were a bit tough for him to remember.
He found it easier to distinguish them by hair color. But those details didn't really matter right now.
What did matter was something else—something he was rather curious about.
"So," Dan, the drummer who had introduced herself earlier, suddenly spoke up, clearly a bit impatient compared to her bandmates. She downed her drink in one gulp before fixing Steven with a direct stare.
"If the misunderstanding's been cleared up, is there something else you need from us, Mr. Steve?"
"Well, yeah, I do have a few questions. Nothing too serious, and I won't force you to answer if you don't want to," Steven replied casually, tapping his finger lightly against the table. "It's more out of curiosity than anything."
"Ask away," said Aya, the pink-haired one, chiming in with a faint smile.
She seemed far more intrigued by Steven than Dan was.
Unlike her no-nonsense bandmate, she didn't mind entertaining a bit of mystery—especially when it came in such an interesting package.
Sure, music was their priority, but that didn't mean they had to turn a blind eye to the strange and intriguing things the world had to offer.
"Then I won't be shy about it," Steven said, leaning forward a bit.
"Here's what I've been wondering… What exactly are Feranmuts? I mean, what kind of species or beings are they?"
His eyes lingered on the four girls, serious now.
"And also… why do all of you seem so much stronger than ordinary humans?"
Steven had always been curious—what exactly were these so-called "Feranmuts"?
Up until now, the strongest beings he had ever encountered—if you excluded that fleeting divine presence he sensed deep under the sea—were limited to a handful. The strongest creature he has met so far is the Fallingstar Beast Boss on the Originium Mine. Even the Echo of We Many of the Church of the Deep, fearsome as it were, didn't compare. Not even that stray Collapsal he'd fought came close.
But if we were only talking about humans? Then even the strongest human he'd seen—the so-called "Patriot" standing alone on the frozen tundra—hadn't radiated the kind of overwhelming pressure these four girls did.
Of course, the real question was… could they even be considered human in the first place?
When Steven casually dropped the word Feranmut, a name that clearly held a degree of taboo in this world, the four girls immediately tensed up.
They had never once shown the side of themselves that might be linked to the Feranmuts, and very, very few people even knew the truth about their identities. So how did this boy—this stranger—see through it?
But now wasn't the time to question that. If he could speak the name so openly, then maybe, just maybe, he really did have the strength to back it up.
Otherwise… why would he be this calm?
"You can ask," Aya said with a soft sigh, eventually choosing to answer Steven's question. "But the truth is… even if you ask us, we wouldn't be able to give you a clear answer."
"Feranmuts are born strong. That's just how it is. There's no deep reason behind it."
Steven raised an eyebrow. "Now that's a cool way to put it," he said with a grin. "I think I'm starting to like that explanation."
There was something noble—something compelling—about the idea of being born strong. It wasn't about lineage or superiority; it was just a fact of existence in the world of Terra. Different races had different traits. Some were just naturally more powerful than others. That was the way things were.
"Alright then," Steven continued, tilting his head in mock thought. "Are there other Feranmuts out there besides you four?"
It was clear by now that there would be no fight between them—at least not today. And frankly, that was kind of disappointing. It had taken him this long to finally run into opponents this strong, and now they were backing off?
That was boring.
So naturally, he wanted to know—were there more out there? Hopefully the kind who were blind, cruel, and completely lacking in morals. The best enemies were the ones you didn't have to feel guilty about cutting down.
"Of course there are," one of the girls said, casually swirling her drink. "There's no shortage of Feranmuts in this world. Most just hide themselves. They don't usually show up unless absolutely necessary."
"And in Yan? Feranmuts are actively hunted down. Most of them have already been driven out."
The girls of Alive Until Sunset took turns adding on, tossing the information around like it was no big deal. None of them seemed especially guarded or cautious about it—in fact, they almost seemed cheerful just talking about it.
Steven could sense it. The way they spoke, the way they acted… it was like they were happy he'd asked.
Which only made him all the more intrigued.
Especially when the girls started talking about the Feranmuts that had been hunted down and exiled from Yan—the sheer joy on their faces was downright disturbing.
Steven narrowed his eyes.
…Wait a second.
Were these four Feranmut traitors or something?
It was almost like their loyalties didn't lie with their own kind at all. If anything, it felt like they were rooting for the humans.
"Hey, uh, isn't this kind of classified info?" Steven couldn't help but speak up. "You're just casually spilling it all to a random outsider like me? Doesn't that seem… a little off?"
He knew he probably shouldn't be questioning them like this—it wasn't really his place—but their attitude was just too bizarre not to call out.
"It's fine," Aya said with a shrug, not bothered in the slightest. "We're already outcasts among our kind. Labeled as different. What can we do? We just happen to like human music. And our kind… they don't understand that."
"Just like we don't understand their obsessions," another added with a wry smile.
The four of them shrugged in unison, clearly indifferent. And frankly, it fit—their actions and attitudes did paint them as black sheep among Feranmuts.
"I see…" Steven said, nodding slightly. "But here's what I don't get. If you're all Feranmuts, why do you refer to the Seaborn as your 'kin'? Aren't they… well, way weaker than you? Honestly, even the Abyssal Hunter doesn't seem like they're in your league."
Steven looked over the four girls carefully. And this wasn't him exaggerating. Even just in terms of presence—or if you wanted to be cheeky, HP bars—Skadi and Specter couldn't even shine their shoes. And that was while these four were still just using their avatars. Their real forms must be on a whole different level.
"That's… not something we're allowed to talk about," Aya replied with an apologetic look.
"It's tied to a pact between us and our kin. So we'll have to ask for your understanding."
Sure, they were Feranmuts. Stronger than almost anything walking the earth. But they weren't immortal. Their kind had their own restrictions—some of which ran deeper than any law. There were things they simply couldn't say.
"No worries, I get it," Steven waved it off easily. "Everyone's got secrets. That's just life."
He hadn't expected them to tell him everything. The fact that they'd already revealed this much was more than enough. But—
"There is something we can tell you," Aya said after a pause. Her tone was hesitant, like she wasn't sure if she should continue.
"If you care about the Abyssal Hunters… then you need to be especially careful of one among them."
Aya glanced sideways, as if debating with herself.
Steven raised an eyebrow. He could tell just from the way she said it—this wasn't some baseless warning.
"You mean Ishar'mla of the Corrupting Heart?" he asked calmly.
The moment they mentioned the Abyssal Hunters, that was the first name that came to mind. Skadi's title had always bothered him. If he had to guess which of them might catch the attention of the Feranmuts, it could only be her.
Aya's eyes widened slightly. "So… you've already met her?"
The four of them looked stunned.
Clearly, Steven knew even more than they had expected. But even more shocking was how unfazed he was.
"We don't know what kind of relationship you have with her," Aya continued, her voice low and serious. "But the best advice we can give is to stay away. She's far more dangerous than you realize."
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