Chapter 9

Before I was even reincarnated into the Pixie world… I once burst out laughing while watching a certain Shorts video. The content of the Shorts was simple. It was about someone randomly picking a fight with a passerby, then pretending to get all emotional and stripping off their clothes to see the other person’s reaction. The key point here was that under those clothes was a ridiculously funny male bikini. After that, most of the people who were picked on panicked and ran away. Of course, that was only natural. If your fighting opponent suddenly strips down and ends up in a bulging bikini, running away is definitely the right choice regardless of pride. “Please wait! Ghost, I want to talk to you!” “…!” Coincidentally, my current feelings were just like that. A wet, blond, muscular pervert chasing me in nothing but a bathrobe in a back alley! How horrifyingly spine-chilling of a situation was this? Without exaggeration, I was genuinely scared it might haunt my dreams. ‘Thank goodness I can’t really speak right now. I almost screamed without realizing it.’ Using telekinesis, I repeatedly pushed and pulled myself, skillfully climbing to the rooftop along the wall. Of course, as usual, it would be much more convenient to lift my own body with telekinesis. But considering there might be people watching around here, blatantly showing off superpowers wasn’t exactly a good choice. Swish! Creak…! “?” A strange sound was heard. It was like the sound of something roughly scraping against each other. Without stopping my legs, I glanced behind me and saw a flying pervert soaring through the sky. “Hahahaha! You’re fast, Ghost!” Now he’s flying in the sky too? A flying pervert? As I narrowed my eyes at the pervert with an utterly fed-up expression, I realized he was following me quickly, swinging on a line like Tarzan from an old movie. ‘…Is that a grappling hook gun? I’ve only seen those in cartoons.’ Grappling hook gun. It was something I knew of theoretically. Clearly, it was a tool that helped one move quickly in a building-filled space by firing an anchor with a rope serving a similar role to an anchor. According to the original work’s evaluation, it was an essential item for skilled Pixies. Though difficult to master, it offered unparalleled mobility. In other words, despite appearances, this guy was quite skilled. I immediately raised the danger level of the blond pervert in my mind. ‘There are definitely two weaknesses to a grappling hook gun. One is that proper projectile motion is needed to gain speed. The other is that it’s completely useless on flat ground without elevation differences!’ I mentally recalled the structure and layout of this area. Having mainly moved between rooftops, the geography of this place was practically etched into my brain. ‘Let’s head to the jungle gym zone. It’ll be tough to use the grappling hook gun there.’ I immediately dashed towards the densely packed buildings where the height difference between rooftops was minimal. To climb the outer walls of the buildings, one had to take a big detour. Once on the roof, the grappling hook gun couldn’t be used anymore. Therefore, this direction was the optimal route to escape the pursuer. Did my plan work as intended? Not long after, the presence of the blond pervert chasing me disappeared entirely. Finally, the pervert was gone. With the good news, I slowly reduced my speed and came to a stop. After lightly checking my surroundings, I gently jumped down and descended into the back alley. ‘This should be enough to shake him off.’ He was truly a scary person. A soggy, blond, muscular, rippling bathrobe-wearing man with a grappling hook gun. I hope I never see him again. Shaking my head side to side, I trudged out of the alley. Or rather, I tried to leave. That is, until a familiar sound approached from afar. Swish! Creak…! Swish! Creak…! “Found you, Ghost! Hahahaha! Come out, let’s talk!” “….” This person, I really dislike them. Why are they so obsessed with talking? Perhaps due to sweat, the man appeared even wetter than before. His gown was completely soaked, revealing faint skin tones, a sight that could rot one’s eyes. Without hesitation, I turned my back and sprinted out of the alley, confirming one suspicion I had earlier. ‘That person knows my exact location. Since when? How?’ Meeting twice could be passed off as coincidence. But if anything happens three times consecutively, it becomes inevitable. It was reasonable to conclude that they had some way of tracking my location. ‘One thing that puzzles me is why they aren’t hiding that fact. Wouldn’t it be better to wait until I return to my base without showing any signs, then ambush me when I let my guard down?’ Then perhaps they have another purpose? Could it be not revenge for theft, but purely wanting to talk to me? ‘…No reason to believe them. This place is where you get stabbed in the back the moment you let your guard down.’ I recalled the woman who approached me to thank me for helping her recently, only to shoot a crossbow hidden in her wrist. Thanks to the telekinetic jamming I deployed to conceal my identity, the projectile was disrupted. It was a close call; I nearly got a hole in my soft belly. In other words, blindly trusting others’ words here is what only suicidal idiots do. Rather, it would be better to beat the truth out of them. ‘The fact that the opponent seems to be a Pixie bothers me a bit. If they don’t appear in the original work, they’re probably not very famous. Let’s subdue them first.’ Having made my decision, I stopped moving and immediately deactivated the telekinetic jamming. Nothing beats this for concealing oneself. But it doesn’t help much in a fight, being purely for camouflage. It was better to allocate these resources to firepower instead. Did the blond pervert notice my change too? Smoothly landing on the ground with his grappling hook gun, he raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Oh? Your appearance changed. Is that your real form? …You’re smaller than I imagined.” “….” “Ah, did I hit a nerve? If so, I apologize. I never imagined a ghost would possess such a petite figure.” Hit a nerve? Not particularly. It was true that my current self was short and small-sized. Rather, having such an efficient body meant spending less on food expenses. Here, the advantages outweighed the disadvantages. Plus, I had a pretty face and could use superpowers. Aside from not being able to speak, I had absolutely no complaints. Really. I’m serious! ‘…Not caring about something means not caring. First, let’s land a hit.’ Clenching my teeth, I firmly grabbed the air in front of the blond pervert’s forehead with telekinesis. And with more emotion than usual, I forcefully struck a telekinetic flick. “Hmm? This sound… thud!” BAAAM! The blond pervert’s head snapped back. A surprise attack exploiting an unguarded moment. Based on previous big data from thefts, I was confident he’d pass out instantly. With enough power to crack glass upon impact, though not lethal, it was certainly sufficient to knock someone unconscious. “Guh, ghh, this is… quite stinging.” However, my expectations and hopes were shattered to pieces. Surprisingly, the blond pervert slowly returned his tilted head to its original position. The pervert whose forehead had turned bright red from the flick still wore a smile wide enough to reveal his teeth. Enduring a hit like that? How thick-headed could he be? Astonished, I could only stare at the man with wide eyes. “What was that just now? Silent magic? Judging by the impact, the intention was to barely knock me out… hahaha! You’re growing on me, Ghost!” “….” Now we’ve reached the point where he’s a pervert who enjoys getting hit. Overwhelmed by surprise and confusion, I quickly regained my composure. If once didn’t work, I’d just keep hitting until he passed out. I gathered telekinetic energy and struck another flick at the same spot. “Hmph!” However, as if anticipating it, the blond pervert stepped back at the exact moment before the flick landed. My aim lost, the telekinetic flick only slashed through empty air. Had I been just a bit faster, I could have readjusted my aim. Had I been just a bit slower, it would have hit him squarely. Truly, a uniquely precise dodge at the perfect timing. And now, after using it twice. My eyebrow twitched in frustration as my telekinetic flick was effortlessly countered. “As expected. Right before the attack, there was a subtle change in sound. So it’s a spell that controls air! Concealing your appearance and moving as if flying must also be applications of this magic!” What…what was that… Identifying the core technique so accurately with just two telekinetic flicks. My jaw dropped at the blond pervert’s absurd reasoning ability. Could this be the average for Pixies in Night Haven? I was newly relieved that I had successfully concealed the existence of telekinesis. ‘Anyway, this is bad. The telekinetic flick is the strongest technique I can use without revealing my telekinesis. If it doesn’t work… what should I do?’ It was a desperate situation. I could try to run away blindly, but there was a limit to how long I could sustain my telekinesis, and my location was already clearly exposed. To find out why my location was known, I had to defeat the opponent, but I had no way to do that. Moreover, since I couldn’t speak, I couldn’t negotiate with the opponent either. Should I reveal myself and surrender obediently? Without knowing the opponent’s identity, that would just be insane behavior. ‘There has to be some way…’ I needed a brilliant idea. Something to shake off the pursuit or a clever trick to knock out the opponent! Just then, a gentle breeze brushed past my cheek. The wind swayed a pure white cloth fluttering at the edge of my vision. The breeze must have felt quite cold against his wet body, as the blond pervert retied the loosened belt of his gown. Wind, a pervert in a gown, and an unknown method of tracking. An idea suddenly sparked in my mind.