Wildness and Masks

Chapter 14 – Under the Mask

I am a fish.

A Lightning Eel. From the moment I was born, I've been outsmarting and outmaneuvering those scale shrimp and small fish every day.

I chase them down.

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If I catch them, I feast. If not, I go hungry.

Until one day, I encountered a colossal creature.

I was caught by something.

After that, I ended up in a very narrow place—it was the first time I saw so many of my kind.

Though it was cramped and hard to move around, the feeling of getting food without much effort every day wasn't so bad.

Until I met that thing that caught me again, this time I wouldn't let it catch me so easily!

I exerted all my strength, trying to resist with my invincible electricity, but...

I ended up electrocuting myself.

Why...

How could I, a Lightning Eel, end up shocking myself unconscious...

I haven't even reached adulthood, haven't left any offspring...

I haven't even... turned male yet.

(Note: Fun fact, electric eels are born female and become male upon maturity, but it's not fixed. They can change gender based on environmental factors—when population density is high and food is scarce, they turn female, and vice versa.)

...

"Phew... This time, digesting the memory was indeed much easier."

Ogre wiped his forehead, realizing that this time, the 'memory digestion' didn't even make him break a sweat.

It seemed his previous assumptions were correct.

As long as the subject being digested had a shorter lifespan than his own, the impact on him would be significantly reduced.

"Continuous discharge does consume a lot of energy. I ended up meditating until I fell asleep..."

Ogre clenched his fists, then threw a few punches into the air.

The sound of his fists cutting through the air made Ogre realize.

The strength he had lost before had returned, and upon closer inspection, it seemed he had even improved slightly.

And this was just the result of his initial training.

"I've gotten a bit stronger again. I really look forward to the next meal." Ogre retracted his fists and opened his palm, a streak of blue electricity flickering between his fingertips.

After absorbing the memories of the Lightning Eel.

Ogre's control over electricity had slightly improved, becoming more precise.

After a bit of joint movement, Ogre began a more detailed organization of the room and his own equipment.

Yesterday's clothes and inner armor had become trash.

So Ogre changed into a new outfit, still low-key, with a color scheme leaning towards gray—giving it a washed-out look.

After equipping his Sleeve Sword and donning the black robe commonly worn by the ascetics and followers of the Church of Dawn, he did have a bit of a Professional's aura.

Except for that excessively beautiful face, which didn't seem threatening at all.

"It's time to meet that wealthy young master I encountered yesterday..." Ogre muttered to himself in front of the metal mirror, then tied his loose hair into a ponytail.

He then opened a hidden compartment in the drawer under the counter and took out a jar of gel-like substance—his skin wax for disguises, which worked even better than his homemade Human Skin Mask, though it didn't last as long.

...

"Wait, Gourmet!" Just as Ogre was about to leave the Arena, the chubby manager came panting after him.

"What's up? Is there something you need?" Ogre asked in a low voice.

"The higher-ups intend to send you to the vast Meteor City. The Apprentice-level Arena is no longer suitable for you..."

"I don't want to go."

Ogre refused without a second thought. What a joke, he still needed to stay here until the Priest taught him the mysteries of the Imagist.

Even if he left, he wouldn't go to Meteor City. Ogre still needed to go to Ceres to obtain the forbidden potion.

"Don't be so quick to refuse. The organization just wants to better nurture you. If you agree, they'll arrange for a seasoned Martial Artist to help you harmonize the Three Qis..."

The chubby manager's words would have been tempting to Ogre in the past.

But things were different now. Ogre had given up on the Martial Artist profession.

He knew that his Three Qis couldn't be harmonized through simple means.

"Are you saying I won't have to fight here anymore?" Ogre asked in return.

"Well, sort of. After all, you're about to go..."

Before the chubby manager could finish, Ogre interrupted him: "Let me think about it. I still have some matters to settle here."

What a joke, Ogre would never agree to such a condition.

He could work, but selling himself was out of the question!

Contracts for this level of promotion would definitely require signing an agreement, and breaking it would mean losing protection under city law.

"How long?" the chubby manager asked instinctively.

"At most a little over a month." Ogre adjusted his spotted mask and said.

"No way, that's too long. You need to sign quickly..." The chubby manager's voice was anxious because this was a task assigned by his superiors...

"Then I'll give you an answer within a week, but I definitely need to stay here for a bit over a month." Ogre's voice, hidden under the mask, remained as calm as ever.

"Alright... Fine then."

The chubby manager understood that he couldn't push Ogre—this kid was a hot commodity, and if he pushed too hard, he wasn't sure if Ogre would retaliate, but he knew he wouldn't fare well.

"I'll come back in a few days then, since my equipment is still here."

Ogre turned and walked straight out of the Arena.

In his heart, he already had a plan.

'It seems my identity here, and this face, can't be used anymore.'

Ogre had been using a fake face to be able to disappear at any moment. The people at the Arena could definitely trace Ogre's identity in the town and his connection with Yard.

But they probably wouldn't expect.

That a guy wearing a mask would have another mask underneath.

Ogre could disappear easily, either by slipping into the Demon Beast Forest or using a Black Market teleportation array to escape. If necessary, Ogre could abandon everything he had here.

But now wasn't the time.

As for what to do now.

That's simple—make money.

Whether it's to buy the forbidden potion or prepare for future career advancements, it all requires money.

Thinking of this, Ogre looked towards the direction of the Professional Association, a rare smile appearing under his mask.

"It's time to meet that wealthy noble young master from another city."