The Evolution of the Weakest Ghoul

Chapter 16: Chapter 16: A chance

Only after hearing the Young Master’s explanation did Selak finally understand.

He couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow.

Since when had Young Master Bama ever cared whether a girl liked him or not?

As long as he fancied a woman, he would claim her by force if necessary. Once he grew bored of her, she would simply be discarded.

There had to be something special about this Crimson-Eyed Maiden.

Of that, Selak was certain.

He had never seen Bama speak about anyone like this before.

She hadn’t spoken a single word.

No one had even seen her full face.

Only her eyes...

Yet she had charmed countless men.

Even the notorious Young Master Bama spoke of her as though she were a queen.

It only made Selak more curious.

He secretly decided to investigate her.

After all, she was at the Transcendent Five-Star Realm.

She was far from weak.

And if she truly was, as Bama suspected, a noble lady from another kingdom or city...

Then she was definitely worth investigating.

”Very well, Young Master. I will follow your orders,” Selak said, placing a hand over his chest before bowing respectfully.

Hearing this, Bama nodded in satisfaction before suddenly dragging Selak toward a clothing store.

”Selak, she wore such simple clothes, yet her beauty couldn’t be hidden. Even dressed like a commoner, she remained elegant and unique. She also carried none of the arrogance common among nobles.”

Bama clenched his fist with determination.

”I’ve decided to do the same.”

”Come on! Help me pick out some commoner’s clothes.”

Selak’s face twitched as he followed behind the excited Young Master.

”Young Master... you said she’s beautiful, but... you’re only considered handsome because of your noble clothes. If you wear commoner’s clothing... you’ll just look average...”

Unfortunately, those words never left Selak’s mouth.

He couldn’t bring himself to ruin the Young Master’s unusually joyful mood.

So he silently followed behind him.

---

While Bama and Selak searched for suitable commoner’s clothing, a new piece of gossip swept through the city.

The Duke’s son had fallen for a mysterious Crimson-Eyed Maiden... and been rejected.

At first, no one believed it.

After all, everyone knew Bama.

He wasn’t the type to patiently pursue a woman or wait for her affection.

If he wanted someone, he simply relied on the influence of his noble family to get his way.

However, as more witnesses stepped forward and the stories about the mysterious maiden’s beauty became increasingly exaggerated, people slowly began to believe the rumor.

More importantly...

Young Master Bama never came forward to deny it.

To everyone else, that silence was practically an admission.

Little did they know...

Bama had spent the entire day searching for the lowest-quality commoner’s clothes he could find, convinced they would perfectly hide his noble aura while still showcasing his ”handsome appearance.”

As a result, curiosity toward the Crimson-Eyed Maiden exploded.

The entire city buzzed with discussion.

Even the smaller noble families began gathering information about the mysterious beauty.

Most simply wanted to know whether she truly was as beautiful as the rumors claimed.

Some of the bolder men even declared that she might one day become one of the greatest dream women in the kingdom.

---

Meanwhile...

The so-called ”Crimson-Eyed Maiden” was busy sneaking around the city, searching for potential targets while carefully studying the guards’ patrol routes and rotation schedules.

Immediately after escaping the inn, the first thing Ronan had done was verify whether he could actually speak.

Honestly...

The System had already proven itself unreliable enough.

Why should he trust it?

So he tried.

The result...

A growl.

No matter how he adjusted his tone or pitch, only growls came out.

Some were low.

Others were deep.

But they were all growls.

Ronan froze.

If the System hadn’t warned him inside the inn and he had actually tried speaking...

His head might already be hanging above the city gates.

A chill ran down Ronan’s spine.

That meant he couldn’t ask questions.

He couldn’t communicate.

He couldn’t properly gather information.

How was he supposed to understand this world?

And without understanding it...

How was he supposed to survive?

Ronan’s newly formed heart pounded wildly inside his chest.

He had to evolve into a Ghoul Lord.

It wasn’t optional.

It was absolutely necessary.

Because of that, Ronan took his observations far more seriously.

However, from noon until nightfall...

He found no opportunity.

Either people traveled in groups...

Or, whenever someone walked alone, they would eventually run into a patrol.

Ronan didn’t want to leave the city.

He had no idea where the next city was.

Nor did he know what dangers existed outside.

For all he knew...

The moment he left the city, some random powerhouse might sneeze and accidentally kill him.

But just as darkness completely covered the sky and the moon slowly rose over the horizon...

He finally found his target.

A drunk man staggered through a deserted alley, muttering nonsense to himself.

Ronan carefully looked around before silently following behind him.

This was the exact moment when the city guards switched patrols.

For roughly one minute...

The city’s defenses were at their weakest.

More than enough time for a Five-Star Transcendent Realm undead to kill a human, carry the body back to the base he had found that afternoon, and secure the first of the five sacrifices needed for the ritual.

Ronan felt that everything was finally working in his favor.

”Come on, woman...”

”That food is dry. Do you want a beating?”

”What do you mean a black eye? Do you want to die like our first son?”

”Trust me... I’ll beat you to de—heh... hic... Give me money for liquor, bitch.”

Ronan listened to the drunken man’s slurred muttering as he staggered into the alleyway.

An empty gourd hung from his hand, while the strong smell of alcohol drifted from his mouth.

There was no doubt this man was an alcoholic.

And a wife-beater.

But what caught Ronan’s attention the most was the mention of his first son.

Did he...

Beat him to death?

Ronan was slightly surprised.

But in the end...

He didn’t really care.

What Ronan didn’t realize was that he had subconsciously let out a small sigh of relief.

Because of his situation, he had spent the entire day mentally preparing himself to kill whoever he came across, whether they were good or evil.

It had been a constant battle between his heart and his mind.

He struggled with it endlessly, and it had only become worse when he finally found his target.

But after hearing the man’s words...

It felt as though a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders.

Giving the empty street one final glance, Ronan’s expression hardened as he silently followed the drunk man into the alley.

The moment he stepped inside, his entire presence changed.

A chilling killing intent quietly spread from his body.

Ronan knew he had less than thirty seconds.

He had to kill the man instantly, take the body back to his hideout, avoid the city guards, and follow the escape route he had mapped out earlier that afternoon.

He absolutely could not be discovered.

If he was...

Everything would be over.

The tension reminded him of the moment he had fled from the Abyss.

After carefully judging the distance and timing his steps, Ronan finally moved.

Crack!

The pavement beneath his feet shattered as he shot forward like an arrow.

Only a few steps remained between him and the drunk man.

He was so close that, with a simple stretch of his arm, he could have grabbed him.

Yet at that very moment...

An overwhelming sense of danger exploded through his body.

Without hesitation, Ronan twisted his body as he heard footsteps approaching from behind.

Bang!

Using the wall as support, he pushed off with the tips of his toes before clinging to the side of the building like a spider, merging seamlessly with the surrounding darkness.