Parallel Memory

"Hah, looks like my sleep needs to wait."

Those three do not seem to want to give up though I doubt that they are planning to take action now. If they wanted to, they would have already done so in a place where there were fewer people.

They should be waiting for me to let my guard down. That means that they will probably attack me when I am sleeping or they may simply give up. Anyway, if they come to stir up trouble, I will just make them regret their decision.

-Tinkling!

"Good morning. Welcome to The Grandward Inn."

A cheerful voice greeted Zero as he entered the inn. He looked around and saw a reception desk with a friendly-looking innkeeper standing behind it.

"Good morning,"

Zero said, returning the innkeeper's greeting.

"I'm looking for a room for the night."

"Of course,"

The innkeeper said, smiling.

"We have several rooms available. How many people will be staying with you?"

"Two"

Zero said.

"In that case, I recommend our bigger room. It's cozy and comfortable with two beds, and the rate is very reasonable."

"That sounds perfect. I'll take it."

"One night will be 500 Ethan."

Zero handed over the money.

"Thank you! Here is your key. Your room is on the second floor, room 207. We hope you have a pleasant stay with us."

The innkeeper said, handing Zero a key.

"Thank you,"

Zero said, taking the key and making his way to his room. He was looking forward to a good night's sleep in a comfortable bed. Unfortunately, some idiots were probably not going to let him.

When Zero arrived at his room, he unlocked the door and stepped inside. The room was quite large, and it was also clean and well-maintained. There were two beds, a small dresser, and a nightstand with a lamp. A window overlooked the inn's courtyard, and the curtains were drawn back to let in the morning sunlight.

Zero placed Lilith on one of the beds and he sat down on the bed and took a moment to relax. He wanted to rest but more than that he was hungry right now. For the past few days, he had been surviving on roasted meat which was not bad but after eating repeatedly, Zero started to crave other things.

After a few minutes, Zero decided to explore the inn. He left his room and wandered the corridors, taking in the sights and sounds of the busy inn. He noticed other guests chatting in the common areas and heard the clanging of pots and pans from the kitchen.

The place looked like a normal inn even though it was in the OutCast town where criminals roam.

Eventually, Zero made his way to the inn's restaurant, where he ordered a hearty lunch as he had not eaten good food for the past week. As he ate, he couldn't help but think that The Grandward Inn was the perfect place to spend a relaxing night.

After eating he went back to his room and rested. Despite still closing his eyes, he did not want to be careless. His mana sense was still active and he could sense everything in a radius of 100 meters.

He had already looked at the people in the Inn and found out that the strongest person in the Inn was Rank-B. That person also seemed to be a customer like himself as his room was next to his.

*****

"Shall we do it tonight?"

One of them eagerly said.

They had already targeted Zero. Just having a Storage ring was enough to tell one about their wealth. The ring alone cost 20000 Ethans after all, not to mention the items inside the ring.

Also, Zero looked alone, and you can imagine what they would do to a rich young boy in Outcast Town without a guard.

They only delayed this because they thought that maybe Zero had a companion in OutCast Town. However, Zero stayed in the Inn alone which meant that he came alone and did not know anyone there.

They would have investigated more if it had been an adult, but because Zero was just a kid, they assumed he was weaker than them.

"Yeah, let's do it."

Another one replied.

"He won't even see it coming."

Two of them were eager to rob Zero. It was not every day that there was a fat sheep coming to give them money.

'Wait!"

As one of them said, he wore a look of concern on his face.

"What? Why?"

Two of them frowned.

"I felt like I had seen him somewhere. Maybe we should investigate more before robbing him."

The man could not remember Zero properly but he felt that he had seen him somewhere. He had actually seen Zero on TV when he was participating in the Tournament of Academies but because Zero was eliminated, the man could not exactly remember him.

"Stop being a coward!"

One of them angrily said. They had worked together for a long time but he didn't like the other guy very much because of his cautious nature.

"If we delay any longer, others might take him first."

...

The worried man still could not wipe out his worries. He felt Zero was a terrifying existence and they should be more vigilant but he also agreed with his companion. Zero was a fat sheep in OutCast Town and if they delayed more, other stronger people would rob him before them. He didn't want to lose a chance of robbing a wealthy kid.

Since two of his companions were not happy with his decision, he had no choice but to agree with their plan. They snuck into the Inn and went straight for Zero's room.

-CREAK!

They quietly opened the door and slowly crept closer to Zero, their eyes focused on the ring on his finger. Just as they were about to make their move,

"I wouldn't do that if I were you,"

Zero warned, his eyes slowly opening. He knew everything about them from breaking into the inn to entering his room. Zero lazily stood up and looked at them as if they were not a big deal.

-GLUP!

The robbers shivered and felt some unknown pressure on them, especially the man who was more cautious. His senses told him that the person in front of him was a terrifying being and that he should run away.

The thieves hesitated for a moment, but then one of them lunged forward, attempting to grab the ring.

But Zero was ready for them. With a quick movement, he was behind the thief and knocked him out.

"W-What?"

The other thieves were shocked at how easily Zero had dealt with their companion. The angry man who attacked was the strongest among them. They quickly realized that they were no match for him and that they had made a huge mistake by trying to rob him.

"I warned you not to try anything,"

Zero said calmly.

"Leave immediately and do not appear before me again."

The thieves quickly took their fallen companion and fled the inn, knowing they had no chance against Zero.

"Sh*t! We should not have messed with him."

With sweat on his forehead, the man carrying the fallen companion said. If the person they were dealing with was a bloodthirsty individual, they would have died today.

"What a monster!"

In response, the cautious man said. He was equally scared and relieved to have survived. A 14-16 year-old looking boy who could easily overpower a Rank-C +. In their eyes, Zero was truly a monster.

Zero watched them go, shaking his head at their foolishness. He returned to his bed and closed his eyes as if nothing had happened.