After buying the gun from the merchant, Aaron headed toward the empty shed he had found near the creek, close to where he had discovered the body and stripped it of its clothes. On his way to the outskirts, he called up the system to check his status.
[Name: Rosacer]
[Class: Ignorant Demon]
[Title: Foulborn, Demon-Hunter.]
There was something newly added, a new title of 'Demon-Hunter.'
With its description read.
]Demon-Hunter: A man destined to fight off the demonic forces. Power increases when facing a demon. Gains demon-slaying chakra.]
[Skill: Blight Bite, Corpse Memory, Demonic Extinguisher]
[Demonic Extinguisher: Boosts a weapon's damage against demons by 100%]
Indeed, there was a notable change, as both his titles and skills had shifted. For now, he had gained one new title and one new skill. Both were heavily geared toward a specific enemy, but it was still better than nothing.
Rosacer could feel himself growing a bit stronger. He was also now able to control the power of the Grafted Sigil of Imperfection with greater precision, even managing to conjure a nose and a rudimentary mouth for his face.
When he reached the creek, and the shed still looked empty as he approached his muscle tensed, but there was no sign of anyone having passed through.
"Looks like there really is no one living here," he muttered to himself as he stepped inside.
The shed was empty, nothing but damp, moist walls that seemed to close in on whoever entered.
There, he laid out the items he had pulled from his inventory in front of him.
A doll with humanlike hair, a mask radiating a deathly aura, a grafted sigil necklace, and pills he had traded for the last worth of the snake's heart. He also drew a gun hidden inside his coat.
Then he used the system to see their information one by one once again.
As usual, the system refused to give him more details about the doll. Other than that, it provided information about the remaining items.
After checking all the item information, he knew he needed a plan. He had come to the city to grow stronger, and to do that, it would be best to join the faction of one of the four lords in Mist City. That way, he could gain the knowledge and opportunities needed to increase his strength.
He was also eager to learn more about Rosacer—who he truly was. Since he had inherited his name, it was only right to discover more about him.
"Moreover, if I can learn more about him, I might gain some insight into how a name shapes one's destiny," he muttered to himself.
"First, I need to learn more about the four lords and their allegiances. That will make my choice easier. I should also find some work and get to know the city better. This way, I can interact with people and gather more information. That should be my first step."
After inspecting the condition of the scrap gun, he stepped out of the shed, searching for a gathering. Mist curled outside, obscuring the man as he emerged.
He pulled out the vial and swallowed the pill, the sleepiness and the haze before him lifting just enough to see more clearly. A smirk tugged at his lips at the sight ahead.
Rosacer moved through the city, where the townsfolk wore questionable clothing, many barely covered at all. While most dressed in dull tones, some stood out in brighter colors. Like him, a few also wore black coats.
Curious, he approached one of the black-coated figures. The mist was especially thick in the southern sector, making it impossible from a distance to tell if it was a man or a woman.
He called out, "Sir, there is…"
The figure turned, revealing a face tinted pale purple, eyes barely blinking.
"Yes," it replied with a crooked smile.
Rosacer was a little stunned by the appearance of the figure. While most people in the mist city had some physical abnormalities, they still mostly looked human. The man standing before him, however, looked more like a wraith.
All of a sudden, the system chimed in.
[Men in Black, appointed by the -----, are the eyes of the mist city. They are the instruments of assassination.]
'Why are you suddenly helping me now?' Rosacer snarled in his thoughts.
He could easily guess the reason and why the name was deliberately left out of the prompt. It had to do with the dream god. Somehow, somewhere, his destiny was still being manipulated by the nightmare god—he could feel it.
'You want me to beware of the dream god's lackey. But if the dream god is already dead, why does this hostility remain?'
Rosacer had always speculated about the origin of the system, especially after learning from the witch that he was granted mercy by the nightmare god. At first, he believed the system might have been created by the nightmare god. However, with no further clues or hints to support this idea, his doubts only grew stronger.
But now that the animosity toward the dream god felt natural to the nightmare god, or so he'd heard. And with the system alerting him about the dream god's actions and information, despite him never asking for help, it only reinforced his belief that his initial theory might not be too far-fetched.
'Still, I need more than just mere speculation...'
Before he could dwell further on the thought, the figure in black before him spoke again.
"Sorry, is there a problem, Mister?" His eyes widened, staring straight into Rosacer's soul.
"No, I just moved here from the Western Sector. I wanted to ask if there's a pub or inn around?"
"Of course not. The Southern Sector is an open zone—you can take any house you like without paying rent!"
He looked at Rosacer, studying him for a moment, then extended his hand with a friendly smile. "I'm Neb."
Rosacer reached out to shake his hand.
"Join the Black Hearts Gathering. There, you'll meet an employer—there's always an auction for working hands." Neb said with polite smile.