21 Final Sprint

"Mnn…" A low groan escaped my lips as my eyes slowly fluttered open.

"Damn, my entire body aches," I mumbled, finally opening my eyes and gazing up at the unfamiliar ceiling.

'A ceiling I don't recognize…' I think to myself, staring at the pristine white stone above.

A voice from beside me snapped my attention. "Ah! You're awake!" An elderly woman, dressed in a nurse-like outfit, stood at a slight distance.

Confusion etched my expression as I studied the unfamiliar face. "Who?" I questioned, tilting my head.

Her eyes widened with relief, and she hurried towards me. "Do you feel alright? Any pain?" She retrieved a piece of paper from the small table nearby.

Scanning the room, I notice other beds with occupants, all lying in a row.

Taking in the scene triggers a sense of déjà vu, a faint echo of memories surfacing.

'This atmosphere... it's almost like…' My eyes tremble as I refocus on the elderly woman.

"M-Miss… where am I?" I ask, my voice quivering.

"Hm? We're in Stonehaven Hospital. You and a woman next to you were found unconscious near the slums. We've done emergency treatment for your severe injuries. Now, I need you to answer a few questions," she explains.

'H-Hospital. Okay, deep breaths...' I try to reassure myself, taking a few slow breaths to steady my nerves.

"You're fine. It's not the same as before. Just calm down..." I murmur, clenching my trembling fists and forcing a smile as I turn to the old nurse.

"Y-Yes? What kind of questions?" I inquire.

She arched an eyebrow at my pale face, leaning down to place a hand on my chest. A soft glow emanated from her palm, entering my chest. "Your heart rate has increased tremendously, son. Do you feel okay?" She doesn't wait for my response, reaching into her pocket to retrieve a yellow crystal. The crystal blinks twice as she holds it in her palm, then she places it back.

"My body's aching from head to toe, and I've got the mother of all headaches. But other than that, I'm fine," I glance at the yellow crystal curiously before returning my focus to her.

She then looks down at the paper again.

She looks down at the paper again. "The doctors will be here for another check-up. Just relax and don't try to move. You had severe injuries when you were brought in—several broken bones and a small wound. You were found unconscious due to your injuries and severe exhaustion. We expected you to be unconscious for two days, but you awakened earlier." She explains, peering back up at me.

Just then, the door swings open, revealing two individuals in attire similar to that of the elderly lady.

"You're really awake! What a surprise!" the friendly middle-aged man exclaims, approaching with a warm smile.

"It really is," the young blonde woman adds, smiling as well.

The old lady hands the man the paper. He examines it and then looks up at me, still smiling. "Hello, young man. I'm Draven, and this is my wife Seraphina. We run a local hospital, offering free healthcare to slum residents," he introduces himself and the woman beside him.

"This here is my mother, Elara." He gestures to the elderly woman, who responds with a small smile as well.

"Ah! Nice to meet you too. My name is Kurogane Ryota," I hurriedly introduced myself, acknowledging the elderly woman, Elara, with a small smile.

"Kurogane, right? Well, I apologize for jumping into this right after you woke up, but we need to ask you a few questions. We've already spoken to the woman found next to you, so don't worry, you're not in any trouble. In fact, I'd like to thank you for saving her from such a vile fate," Draven says, bowing his head slightly in my direction.

"Ah, please raise your head! Anyone in my place would have..." My words trail off as I stare off into space for a moment.

Suddenly, my eyes widen, and I sit up in bed with a panicked expression.

"SYSTEM?! HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN SINCE THE START OF THIS LOOP?!"

The people around me were taken aback by my sudden outburst.

[ Approximately 8 hou- ]

"FUCK!" I curse, holding out my hand. One of my knives materializes as I flip it in my hands, driving it straight into my throa-

…

"Ryota? What's the matt-"

"THANK FUCKING GOD!" I yell, bending over to grasp my knees while breathing heavily.

"R-Ryota?" I hear Emilia's questioning voice.

"I thought I lost everything…" I mutter as I tale deep breaths.

"H-Huh?" She makes a questioning sound.

"Just give me a second, Emilia…" I raise my hand to reassure her.

"What happened? You suddenly stopped and yelled..." She asks in concern.

"Uhhh, I stubbed my toe," I say, offering the first excuse that comes to mind.

"Eh?" Emilia gives me an incredulous look.

"Never mind that! You were about to guide me to the place where your insignia got stolen, right? Lead the way, Emilia," I swiftly change the topic.

"S-Sure. Tell me if you feel unwell, okay?" She replies, turning around and starting to walk ahead of me.

'Fortunately, the reset point didn't change. That was really close. Who knows what would have happened if I had woken up a day later or something...' A shiver runs up my spine as I shake my head to dispel the thoughts.

[ Unread System Notifications ]

[ Display Now? ]

'Crap! I almost forgot! Display them now.'

[ Level Up! ]

[ Level Up! ]

[ Level Up! ]

[ Level Up! ]

[ Level Up! ]

'Nice! With this, I should be Level 8...' A smile crosses my face.

'System, I should have one skill point, right?' I ask.

[ Affirmative ]

'Alright! Pull up the skill list!' A translucent golden window materializes before me.

[Skills]

- Dominion - Lv. 1

- Fatestrider Gaze - Lv. 1

- Limit Breaker - Lv. 1

- Predators Presence - Lv. 1

'Which one should I use my skill point on? Well, I guess it's pretty obvious, huh? It's literally the most versatile skill I have,' I think as I make my choice.

'System, how do I upgrade my skill?' I ask.

[ Select the skill that you wish to upgrade. The list of the requirements to upgrade that skill will appear ]

I click on my Dominion skill, and a new window appears before me.

[ Dominion - Lv. 1 ]

- Skill Point Requirement : 1

- Additional Condition : Establish a Deeper Understanding of the Skill

- Both Conditions Have Been Met!

[ Use Skill Point? ]

I inspect the window for a moment more and then accept the prompt.

[ Dominion - Lv 1 ➤ 2 ]

'That should do it…Let's see what changed…'

I activate my Dominion as my eyes widen in shock.

'The size increased! 10 meters in all directions! With Limit Breaker, that's 20 meters…'

"So the size of my Domain of Absolution can increase. Haha…this skill is too broken," I mutter in shock.

'Everything feels smooth too. My control skyrocketed. I might be able to utilize it more in my fights. It still needs a lot of concentration, but hey, I'll take it.'

'Okay, let's begin the loop…' I look up at Emilia.

"Hey Puck. Can you come out for a second? I have a request."

Puck peeks his head out of Emilia's hair and looks over at me curiously.

"What is it-nya~?" He says, raising his paw at me.

"Can you make me some ice weapons? If we get attacked or something, I don't want to hold you two back." I offer the usual excuse.

"Nya~? Ice weapons? I can fashion up a nice blade with my ice, I guess. Believe it or not, but my precision with ice is second to none!"

"Yeah, yeah. I got it. Make me some twin knives. Wait a second, scratch that. I have a few specific requests for the blades. Can you handle them?"

"Hm? Sure can! What do you have in mind-nya~?" Puck flew out of Emilia's hair and settled in my palm.

"Can you make the knives about this long? Make sure the edge is curved just a little bit for better slashing attacks but don't make it too curved so that I won't be able to thrust with it. The weight should be about…"

15 minutes later, I stood at the slum's entrance.

"Alright, here we go again…" I stretch my arms out one last time as I step forward and enter the slums.

I continue walking while observing my surroundings.

"Tch. I spent too much time designing the new knives with Puck. Elsa always turns around this corner, but I might have missed her." I click my tongue as I scan the area, but Elsa is nowhere to be found.

"Alright, let's go check out her hideout then. She might have gone there." I turn around and walk in the direction of the cellar where I had my first (very painful) encounter with Elsa.

After a few minutes, I spot the cellar again.

"Man, this brings back memories I would rather not remember again…" I mutter as I gaze at the old cellar once more.

I walk up to the door and attempt to push it open, but it won't budge.

I knock on the door.

No response.

I knock once again, this time harder.

Still no response.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

"Elsa! Open the door! I know you're in there! Elsa!" I start to pound on the door with my fist, yelling.

The door starts to creak, and the hinges were about to bend when suddenly…

"Shut yer trap!" The door swings open as I hear loud footsteps.

"You tryin' to bust my door down when you don't even know the signal or password!?" A literal giant emerges from the door.

"Woah…" I mutter in awe, looking up at the 7-foot, red-faced, bald old man.

"You don't look like Elsa…" I jokingly remark as I examine him.

The man has ragged clothes covering his muscular body. The light from above shines on his forehead, with white strands of hair lining his eyebrows. He wears a sleeveless vest and has a crimson symbol across the left side of his head.

"Huh?" The old man hunches down to stare at me.

"Who are you, boy?! I've never seen you around here before. How did you know where to find this place? How did you get here? Who told you?!" The old man's spit flies out as he bombards me with questions.

"Alright, calm down, old man, or you might get a stroke…" I hold up my hands to pacify him, seeing him on the verge of lunging at me.

The old man narrows his eyes at me, then turns around while clicking his tongue.

"Tch. Come on in." The old man heads back into the cellar.

I shrugged and followed him inside, closing the door behind me. The familiar clutter greeted me—a chaotic counter adorned with an assortment of items, from swords to boxes, pots, and dolls. Shelves lined with an eclectic mix of goods filled the space.

'Everything is the same, huh?' I noted, surveying the surroundings.

The old man settled behind the counter, grabbing a massive mug and downing its contents with evident satisfaction.

"Haaah…that hits the spot…" He wiped froth from his face, chuckling.

Approaching the counter, I took a seat on one of the stools available.

"Ow!" I exclaimed, glancing down at the stool. Splinters protruded from the wooden seat, having rudely greeted my backside.

"Old man, haven't you heard of customer service?" I removed the splinters, settling back onto the stool.

"I ain't got time for stuff like that, kid! We do all we can to survive, and that's about it," he replied, taking another swig of his liquor.

I scanned the cellar, searching for any signs of Elsa.

'She's not here. Is she not home or something?' I raised a brow.

"What're you all fidgety for? Are your balls chaffin' ya that much?"

"Of course not! My balls are just fine! Wait, I wanted to ask you something. Where is Elsa?" I inquired.

"Elsa? Don't know anyone with that name, kid," he answered, going back to his drink.

'Wait what? Elsa isn't from here? That means she's an outsider like me too…' I contemplated.

"Is that all? You're already interrupting my evening booze. You'll kill me if you start talkin' about boring stuff now."

"Old man, You really know no one by the name of Elsa? Her name is Elsa Granhiert. She has dark black hair and is about as tall as me. Purple eyes, and most importantly, she's hot as shit."

'Should I just kill myself and reset?' The thought crosses my mind.

"Black hair? I ain't seen anyone that eye-catching," the old man replied, continuing to drink.

'That just about confirms it. This is not her hideout. Then why was she here in my first loop? She attacked on sight, so I just assumed this was her hideout and she was trying to protect it. But if not that, then what?'

"So, kid, are you interested in some of these goods? There are really only two reasons that people come to this place; they're either bringing in something that they stole, or they have some business with stolen items themselves," the old man said.

'Wait, bringing in something that they stole?' My eyes widen.

"Hey old man, I'm looking for something. Have you seen an insignia about this big? It has a red jewel in the center too." I make a circle with my thumb and index finger to demonstrate the size.

"Hm? An insignia with a jewel? Can't say I have." The old man dismissively answers as he enjoys his liquor.

"You sure old man? Try to remember."

"If I can't remember when I'm at my best, with booze in me then the only explanation is that I don't know." He says as he pours in another cup for himself.

"You said that stolen goods come through here, right? It was stolen roughly about an hour ago!"

The old man pauses and looks back at me.

"You said it was stolen about an hour ago? That changes things then. I've got someone bringing in some goods later. I'm told it was some fine loot. There's a good chance it could be what you're lookin' for."

"That's it!" I exclaim with a happy expression.

"Hold your ground dragons there, boy. I ain't finished. I heard that the deal has already been made. It was a commissioned item."

'A commissioned item? That implies someone hired the thief to steal something specific—most likely the insignia. Someone is already on the other end, ready to buy it, huh? This complicates matters. Who could it be? Wait, it can't be…' My eyes widen.

"Old man. Do you know what the other party looks like? Anything?" I ask.

"Hm? Not much. The little brat only mentioned it was a woman working as a proxy for someone else," Rom replies before resuming his drink.

'That's it! The other party is most likely Elsa. While not confirmed, it makes sense. I know for certain that Elsa frequents this place based on my first loop. This is where stolen goods are sold. Elsa probably came here to buy the insignia from the thief. Elsa may have already sealed the deal with the thief. I should confirm that it's her in the next loop; there's still a chance it could be someone else.'

"Hey, old man!"

"The name is Rom, kid."

"Alright, Rom! If something I desire is brought here by a thief, but the thief has already struck a deal with someone else, is there a way for me to obtain it?" I pose the crucial question.

"Huh? If it's something like that, both parties have to bid for it, and the item goes to the highest bidder!" Rom explains.

"Even if the other party was the one who commissioned the theft in the first place?" I raise my brow.

"That's right. Those are the rules."

'Perfect! I have no money but Emilia is probably loaded! This method is way better. Emilia will reclaim her insignia without any bloodshed. Elsa won't have any standing if we outbid her. She's a proxy, which means she doesn't need the item personally. If we bid higher, she'll likely step back without an issue. After all, it's her client's fault if the deal was underpaid! At least, that's how I hope everything goes…'

'Finally, I have some way out of this!'

A smile graces my face as I rise from the stool.

"Hm? You leavin' already?" Rom raises his brow.

"Yep! But I'll be back! I have a training montage to finish, after all! I feel like I'm right on the cusp of something. I just need to work a little harder. I'll take this whole insignia thing seriously after that!"

I hold out my hand as my knife materializes in it.

"Well, see ya later, old man!" That's the last thing I say before plunging the knife into my throat for the second time.

…

"Ryota? What's the matter?" I hear the familiar voice I've grown accustomed to.

It was almost like a greeting for me at this point.

"Nothing! You look cute as always, Emilia!" I give her a wink and a thumbs up.

"Eh?" She tilts her head adorably.

"Puck! I have a request! Come out for a sec!" I call out.

A grin appears on my face as I clench my fist.

'It's time for the final sprint…'