Following the direction indicated by the magical tool, it pointed toward the depths of the flower-and-bird market street.
"Let's go. Let's check it out."
"Yeah." Ignia nodded.
The two followed the magical tool's guidance as they walked, as if it were a directional needle fixed in one spot—no matter how they moved, it never shifted. Some areas were blocked by buildings, forcing them to detour, but the direction remained unchanged.
"Hurry up, we're getting close."
Ignia was visibly excited, tugging at Sean to run despite her tight leather jacket.
"It should be nearby!" she said, looking at the magical tool in her hand.
Sean, however, wasn't as enthusiastic. Ever since she mentioned checking the sewers, a lingering shadow had haunted his mind—the dream he'd seen last night. Those animal eyes lurking in the dark depths of a foul ditch.
"Ignia," he suddenly called out.
"What's wrong?"
They stopped abruptly, and Ignia looked over curiously.
"What if... that monster is pretty tough? And it's in the sewer. Should we prepare a bit?" Sean couldn't quite describe what it was, only having a vague image, but he felt caution was wise.
"No worries, I've got stuff with me."
Ignia brushed it off, bending over to pat the small pouch at her waist.
Since she was prepared, Sean said nothing more. They followed the guidance from the flower-and-bird market all the way to the area near the city wall, where they could already see the towering walls of Koga City in the distance.
No shops were open around here—almost all were closed, with weeds overgrowing the doorways and corridors...
When the city was first planned, buildings would have been packed in, but they hadn't accounted for foot traffic. In such a remote spot, there were hardly any customers, so shops built here were just for show.
Besides the closed shops, there was a large pit near the canal.
Its entrance was built like a noble's tomb...
That must be the sewer entrance.
"Is it there?" Sean asked.
"Yeah, wait a moment." She began pulling out a small wrapped bag from her pouch as they approached the sewer entrance.
The steps were made of stone—decent near the top, but the further down they went, the darker and dirtier it got. Even standing at the opening, a foul stench wafted up.
Sean didn't mind it much, but he wondered about the girl beside him.
He glanced at her—her face was expressionless, with no extra shift in emotion.
Ignia was really something. Yesterday, digging through trash piles had already shown she was no ordinary girl. Beyond her personality, she had a strong inner resolve, the kind of person who was stubbornly driven toward her goals.
He watched her open the small bag, take out some powder, and draw a circle on the ground... not just one, but many circles linked together in rings.
Sean touched a bit of the powder on his finger...
"Don't move, or I'll have to redo it," Ignia said.
The name of the substance popped up on his finger: [Demon Luring Powder].
"Demon powder?"
"Didn't know you were so knowledgeable. I'm using this to lure out the beast hiding inside." She placed the water-container magical tool on the ground, its two droplets pointing toward the sewer entrance.
Beyond that was the city wall, so it couldn't be anywhere else—this had to be the spot.
Ignia held the demon powder and chanted a spell...
In Sean's eyes, the name of the magic she was casting appeared above her head.
[Search~]
Another search spell.
After a few seconds of casting, the effect lingered above her head, just like when he first met her yesterday.
Then came another spell—this time [Lure~]—as she sprinkled the demon powder into the sewer.
It was like scattering golden dust, the shimmering powder falling into the sewer under the sunlight, with the remainder trailing along the steps to form a path leading to the center of the ring of circles she'd drawn.
A magic trap was set.
"Let's go somewhere else. It'll be lured out soon." Ignia excitedly pushed Sean to find a hiding spot.
Perfect timing—
This area was full of closed shops, and their wooden awnings could be shifted slightly to serve as cover.
"How long do we wait?"
"Shouldn't be long. The alchemist who sold me the demon powder said it's top-notch—any beast will be drawn to its scent."
So that's how it works!
Sean stared at the item placed in the distant magic circle.
Just then, a faint animal noise reached his ears...
Quiet, but there seemed to be a lot of them.
"Did you hear that, Sean?" Ignia happily slapped his arm.
"Quiet! Wait patiently..." Sean snapped, making her fall silent.
The sound was chaotic, amplified by the sewer, and as it grew closer, it resembled the squeaking of rats—many rats screeching together.
"Does this stuff attract normal animals too?" Sean asked.
"I... I don't know. The alchemist never mentioned that."
Ignia seemed to realize what was being lured out and looked at Sean with a hint of panic.
But it was too late now. The noise grew louder as something crawled out of the sewer entrance.
Sss—
Sean felt his scalp tingle.
He'd never seen so many rats at once, all clumped together in a writhing mass—both spectacular and disgusting. Some were coated in liquid, slimy and wet, following the path Ignia had set toward the magic circle.
"What happens if that magic circle activates?" Sean asked the girl beside him.
"It... it creates a knockout trap."
Before they could react, another massive swarm of rats slowly emerged, this one as big as a cow. Could rats really roll into something that size?
Amid the screeching rats, Sean spotted something else.
It had a name.
Right in the center of the swarm... a big red name.
Boom!
The front group of rats reached the center of the magic circle. As they started tearing at the demon powder, an explosion suddenly erupted.
It felt like stepping on a landmine.
The trap was probably meant for beasts—ordinary little animals couldn't withstand it, getting torn to shreds by the blast.
Roar—
The giant rat let out an enraged cry.
[Enrage~]
"Run!"
Sean's first instinct was to grab Ignia and flee.