Inside an abandoned commercial building nearby.
This place, filled with thick layers of dust from years of neglect, was perfect for tormenting someone.
No matter how much you screamed, the sound wouldn’t easily escape to the outside.
“You cowardly scum! Attacking me while I let my guard down! No matter what you do, I won’t say a word! Torture me all you like! Do you think I’d so much as open my mouth?”
Dangling.
The werewolf, firmly restrained and tied up, hung upside down as he shouted.
The determination in his eyes made it clear that he was resolved to stay silent no matter the torture.
But perhaps because his rant made it sound like we were the villains here, Raven looked at the swinging werewolf with an expression of disbelief.
“Ridiculous. Let’s get the facts straight. You were the one trying to ambush us. Did you really think we wouldn’t notice you watching us through the crack in the wall?”
“Grr... Silence! Don’t talk back to me, you pathetic human!”
“Tsk. This is pointless. Rookie, do it.”
“...!”
With Raven’s permission, I eagerly pulled something out of the bag.
A device for ultimate torture that would make any werewolf suffer!
Its true identity? A lemon.
A lemon? Isn’t that just a fruit?
Tsk tsk. Shows what you know. For canines with sharp senses of smell, lemons are sheer torment.
Naturally, for werewolves with just as keen a nose, lemons are a fatal weakness.
Using the small knife Raven had lent me, I cut the lemon in half. Then, I pressed the juicy flesh against the man’s nose and squeezed it hard.
Visit freёwebnovel.com for the 𝑏est n𝘰vel reading experience.
“Arrrgh! Stop! Stooop!”
“Rookie. That’s enough.”
“...”
Drip, drip.
Drool trickled from the werewolf’s mouth.
It wasn’t because it tasted good; it must’ve been the sour scent tormenting his salivary glands into overdrive.
Would he be ready to talk now?
Locking eyes with the man who was panting heavily, Raven spoke in a clear, deliberate tone.
“What’s your reason for sneaking into the city? Are you a sentry stationed nearby?”
“H-how dare you! I am Sergeant Brelren of the great Werewolf Brigade! Don’t you dare reduce me to a mere sentry!”
“Hm, I see. My mistake... Sergeant Brelren.”
“Wha...! How do you know my name when I haven’t said it?!”
...Isn’t he just a big dog at this point?
Watching Raven interrogate him, I rubbed my forehead at the sheer absurdity of the man’s behavior.
Even if werewolves weren’t known for their intellect, he couldn’t have been stupid enough to fail to realize he’d given himself away.
Then again, maybe the lemon torture had drained his mental focus entirely.
A truth-extracting lemon... It really does pack a punch.
“Grrr... Is information leaking? No human should know my identity!”
“...So that’s the situation.”
Was it just him, or are werewolves as a species like this?
Embarrassed on his behalf, I quietly looked up at the ceiling.
But whether I squirmed in frustration or not, Raven, who seemed to realize we’d hit the jackpot, calmly kept prying for information.
“Simple. We’ve already planted a spy in your group. In fact, the only reason we caught you so easily is because the spy told us your location.”
“W-what?!”
He leaned on the idea of a non-existent spy, applying pressure to Brelren.
Normally, you’d dismiss it as nonsense, but the upside-down werewolf seemed genuinely shaken, his eyes trembling. Does he really believe this?
“You have a new recruit in your unit, don’t you?”
“A recruit...? Oh, you mean the one who joined 10 years ago!”
“...No, not a soldier. I mean a civilian employee. Surely your informant wouldn’t be one of your pesky werewolves, right?”
“T-then... Could it be one of the dark elves who joined after the reorganization?! I knew those shady bastards were traitors!”
Brelren spilled information like a leaky faucet, offering up details without any intention of holding back.
It was as though he was some sort of automatic feeder that dispensed intel every time you pressed the right button.
At this point, even I could figure out which group he belonged to.
Founded over a decade ago, with a werewolf brigade and dark elf members...
The only organization that fit those criteria was the Multispecies Liberation Army.
‘No way... I didn’t expect to get tangled up with them like this.’
The Multispecies Liberation Army.
They were a villainous group featured in the early chapters of Fixer.
Their goal was simple:
Drive out humanity and establish other species as the rulers of the new Earth.
Naturally, their ambitions had played a significant role in fueling conflicts between humans and non-humans.
Though public opinion held that they’d lost momentum around the time of the ceasefire with the Invaders ten years ago...
In truth, they’d been quietly gathering strength all this time, and their resurgence was a key element of Fixer’s main storyline.
In other words, they were natural adversaries for Raven!
Realizing this, I instinctively tensed, narrowing my eyes in preparation.
Raven, with his sharp intuition for the truth, seemed to have noticed that the werewolf wasn’t lying.
However, without betraying any reaction, he smoothly continued extracting information from Brelren.
“Hmm... So that’s how it is. Got it. This should be enough.”
“What are you... Guh!”
The approximate scale of the enemy, their ultimate goal, and their primary hiding locations—
Once Raven had extracted all the necessary information, he struck the back of Brelren’s neck with the edge of his hand, knocking him out.
The fluidity of Raven’s motion was remarkable.
Even as the werewolf lost consciousness, his face displayed confusion, as if he couldn’t understand why he was passing out.
“Well, that’s the end of your role. When you wake up, you’ll be at the police station. What happens next is up to them.”
“...!”
A hand strike to the neck?
I’d heard that wasn’t possible in real life. But with Raven’s extraordinary skills, it seemed feasible.
Honestly, it looked cool. I should try practicing it myself someday.
Unaware of my thoughts, Raven crossed his arms, muttering to himself with a tone of annoyance.
“The Multispecies Liberation Army... What a mess. Greg has really gotten himself tangled up with troublesome people.”
They were undoubtedly a nuisance—an extremist militant group that believed all non-humans must join their cause.
Given their ideology, it was likely they were pursuing Greg to recruit him, considering his considerable strength.
This might turn into a direct confrontation with the enemy.
Raven’s subtle glance toward me seemed to convey that thought, as if suggesting I should step back now to avoid getting in the way of the impending fight.
“...!”
No. I wasn’t going to step back.
I took a determined step forward, as if to say I wouldn’t retreat.
After coming this far, there was no way I’d back down. He’d have to knock me out to stop me.
Straightening my back and lifting my chin, I tried to convey my resolve.
Raven, who seemed to be pondering for a moment, let out a small sigh and spoke.
“You already know what I’m going to say, don’t you? To be honest, I can’t take you along as a Fixer.”
“....”
“So just step aside and wait here. I’ll bring Greg back unharmed. If you have any objections... try to fight me. But as long as I’m conscious, I won’t allow it.”
The pressure he exuded was immense, as though the space around us was being crushed.
The sheer presence of Raven was suffocating, as if a hand was gripping my throat.
It was even more overwhelming than the likes of Drakel or Rexi, leaving my legs trembling against my will.
‘Ugh, I need to go... But without Raven, there’s no way to save Greg!’
Neither option was appealing.
I could overpower Raven and go after Greg alone, or watch helplessly as Raven rescued Greg without me.
Logically, the latter was the right choice.
Raven would save Greg no matter what.
So, the best thing for Greg would be for me to relent and let Raven handle it.
My arms fell limply to my sides. Noticing my surrender, Raven withdrew his oppressive aura and approached me with a conflicted expression.
“...I’m sorry. I’ll bring him back safely. Just wait here a little longer.”
“....”
He gently placed a hand on the top of my head.
Under normal circumstances, I would have appreciated the gesture, but right now, it brought no comfort.
Without further hesitation, Raven turned and left.
His retreating figure seemed burdened, as if carrying a heavy weight.
‘I could help, too.’
I felt miserable. To be honest, a few tears slipped out.
I even regretted not revealing my abilities and following him, despite the risks.
But I couldn’t. I was too afraid of how he might look at me if I did.
The fear of his perception changing paralyzed me.
Pathetic. I claimed I wanted to help Greg, but here I was, cowering over something so trivial.
I wanted to dig a hole and bury myself in it.
[ Mama... ]
“It’s fine. Thanks for worrying.”
I gently patted the Tesseract, which was trying to comfort me, and slumped onto the dusty floor.
Should I just throw on a cloak like before and storm out?
But I had no idea where to go or how to start, so it was a meaningless thought.
Ding.
A sound came from the Echo in my pocket.
An alert? Could it be an email?
I weakly fumbled through my pocket and pulled out the device to check.
The email I saw was unbelievable.
[Raven, I’ve decoded the coordinates you requested. I believe the person you’re looking for is around here on the map. The Multispecies Liberation Army’s location seems to be a bit further over here...]
The sender was none other than David.
Did he accidentally send this to me instead of Raven?
If so, this was an incredible stroke of luck.
Was I supposed to just sit tight because of a promise? No way.
I immediately stood up, scanning the area.
A short distance away, I spotted a filthy old cloth lying around.
It was time for the Ghost to make a comeback.