Chapter 427
Chapter 427
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 427
Chapter Title: The Definition of Life (3)
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In front of the Munitions Community's main gate.
"Kukuku, look at them, all tensed up. What should we do with them?"
"Let's just kill 'em. No, wait. Should we take them alive?"
The bodyguards' voices grew thin and raspy, as if their vocal cords had been strained to their limits.
But even more startling was the aura they radiated.
Whether it was a blade, fangs, or claws, one always felt an intense aura when facing a creature with killing intent, but the nature of that aura always differed.
A murderer? A wild beast?
The aura emanating from these men was completely different from either.
They were like unknown life forms. Or perhaps, a complex fusion of existing ones.
*I can't let myself be embarrassed again.*
Kuan was ready to spring into action at any moment.
The moment they revealed their true nature, he would unleash external gravity in three directions.
He would cut down the men on the left first, then use the feedback from the first strike to accelerate and eliminate the rest even faster.
Tick. Tick. Tick.
A faint sound, imperceptible to anyone but a Schema user, reached Kuan's ears.
It was the sound of a claw extending from the right hand of the bodyguard facing Armin.
"Everyone, stand down!"
A booming shout erupted from beyond the main gate.
Kuan immediately planted his feet on the ground and spun, neutralizing the external gravity, but his sword had already tasted blood.
Thud! Thud!
The heads of the two bodyguards on the left tumbled to the ground.
Shina felt a shiver run down her spine as Kuan, who had been standing beside her just a moment ago, was now deep within the enemy's formation.
She hadn't perceived the moment he moved, nor the movement itself.
While most swordsmen used propulsion to launch a surprise attack, Kuan moved by drawing things toward him, as if by suction.
A sudden acceleration that required no preparation or warm-up.
She felt a wave of relief that Kuan was not her enemy.
"You bastard! I'll kill you!"
Witnessing their comrades' deaths, the bodyguards charged, and Kuan raised his sword horizontally, preparing to face them.
"I said stop, you bastards! Didn't you hear the boss?"
The bodyguards froze in unison.
Though their bodies had yet to show any particular transformation, their faces were contorted into expressions bordering on monstrous.
With a clang, the iron gate opened, and a large, middle-aged man walked out.
He wore a coat with long, soft fur like a mink's, and on each shoulder was the taxidermied head of a terrified weasel.
His shoulder-length hair was unkempt and brittle, and he wore black glasses with sharp, pointed lenses.
This was Frankwine, the leader of Yamaeng, a man who could be said to control nearly all the hunting grounds near the mainland.
Armin walked toward him and asked.
"Are you the one in charge here?"
"Hmm."
Frankwine stroked his beard, sizing Armin up before revealing a grin full of sparse, gold teeth.
"A bunch of high-spirited youngsters. Yeah, I'm the boss around here. What brings you to me?"
"We have a request for the Munitions Community."
"Aha! So you're here to do business. Right, business is essential. Come on in, come in."
"Boss! They killed two of our comrades! Are you just going to let them in?"
Frankwine glanced at the two cleanly decapitated corpses, then shrugged.
"What's the big deal? When men fight, sometimes they die, and, what was it, yeah, sometimes their heads get chopped off. Why are you making such a fuss over nothing?"
"But, Boss...!"
Frankwine's face twisted in annoyance.
"Are you going to keep talking back to me? Are you dead? No, you're not. You're alive, right? Then stop worrying about who dies and go do your damn job."
The bodyguards glared at Armin's group, gritting their teeth. But in the end, they had no choice but to part and let them through.
Violent and absolute.
That was Armin's first impression of Yamaeng.
On the way to the office, Frankwine gave them a brief tour of the factories.
They had suspected it, but seeing it with their own eyes and hearing the explanation, the scale was truly immense.
They handled everything from Kalla, a food made from elixir, to various weapons, hunting supplies, and medicine. The vast amount of elixir they earned from renting out the nearby hunting grounds made it no exaggeration to call them the largest community on the mainland.
*They're certainly different from the enemies we've faced so far.*
Feeling wary, Armin subtly probed.
"Thank you for your time. I heard you were busy."
"Ah, I drank too much yesterday. My stomach's been a mess. But what's the point of lazing around? You just end up taking a shit, right? Kukuku."
Frankwine proudly opened the office door as if he were the manager of a hotel from Armin's world.
It was a cramped room where only a cockroach might feel comfortable. The wallpaper was stained with tobacco and alcohol, and the stench was foul.
"Wait here a minute. I'll be back after I finish up what I was doing."
After ushering Armin's group into the office, Frankwine turned and entered a room at the end of the hall.
A handsome blond man with slicked-back hair, his long legs stretched out on a desk, jumped up in surprise.
"Ah, Boss. You're back."
"What did I tell you? Didn't I say I'd kill you if you ever sat at my desk again?"
"How was I supposed to know you'd catch me? Anyway, how are they?"
This was Meatgun, Yamaeng's second-in-command.
Though the Munitions Community had over 300 employees, only Meatgun was skilled enough to dare call himself Frankwine's bodyguard.
Frankwine stuck a crumpled cigarette in his mouth and lit it.
"They seem useful. Let's entrust it to them. You have that quote Laceis sent over, right? Give it to me again."
Meatgun pulled a piece of paper from his inner pocket.
Frankwine took it and unfolded it. On it was a list of about ten different creatures.
They were divided into first and second priority, and every single one was difficult to hunt.
"Kuku, I might be crazy, but that woman is out of her mind. How does she expect us to get these? If I send my men, they won't even be able to recover their bones."
"But it's an unprecedented offer. She said she'd raise the Telomere Level of 100 of our members to stage five."
"Hmm, stage five."
The Telomere Level was a measure of the pure power that sustained life.
Therefore, it was a given that a higher Telomere Level meant greater combat strength.
A Telomere Level of five provided enough life force to live for a staggering 400 years, provided one didn't engage in explosive biological activity.
With 100 subordinates like that, Yamaeng's future would be one of endless success.
What was puzzling, however, was why Laceis, who was surrounded by enemies and constantly on guard, would suddenly make such an exceptional offer.
"What's that woman plotting? She sent a list of only the apex predators in the local food chain."
When it came to survival, the species that best adapted to its environment would endure, but that alone couldn't make it the best.
The creatures at the top of the food chain always possessed powerful traits that covered all their weaknesses.
"I know she's a pervert, but this is too eccentric, isn't it? Creatures with such distinct characteristics would be difficult to fuse with others."
"She must have found a way. She's an untrustworthy woman, but she doesn't make foolish moves. And the terms she's offered will certainly benefit Yamaeng."
Frankwine crumpled the memo and stuffed it into his pocket.
"So, you think we should accept this deal?"
"Yes. Whatever she's planning, this is a golden opportunity to expand Yamaeng's influence. And if you have ambitions to rule Purgatory, she's someone you must work with."
Frankwine swung his arm brutally, striking Meatgun across the jaw.
Meatgun's body flew like a cannonball, slamming into the wall with a loud crash. As he fell to the floor on his side, a massive crack appeared in the wall.
As Meatgun clutched his forehead and stood up, Frankwine opened the door and said on his way out.
"If I catch you sitting in my chair one more time, I'll kill you."
Thump.
The door closed.
Back in the office Frankwine had led them to, Armin and his companions all wore grim expressions.
Amid the stench of stale alcohol and tobacco, another kind of foul, fishy smell lingered in the air.
Shina fanned her hand in front of her face.
"What on earth is that smell?"
The men had their suspicions but remained silent.
Etella tilted her head.
"I know, right? It smells just like some kind of fish..."
Armin quickly changed the subject.
"In any case, it's strange that the head of the Munitions Community is suddenly treating us with such favor."
Shina shared the same thought.
"We can't let our guard down. Just like his bodyguards, Frankwine's disposition was truly bizarre. It's possible some variable has come into play that we're unaware of..."
Etella and Kuan nodded in agreement.
But even if something was happening elsewhere, there was no way for them to know.
Frankwine re-entered with a broad smile.
"Haha! My apologies. I was a bit behind on work."
Shina seized the opportunity to complain.
"You call this an office? Why is it so filthy? And what is this smell? It's giving me a headache."
Frankwine looked at Shina as if her question was absurd, then suddenly realized and burst out laughing.
"Haha! Of course! You see, I had a bit more fun than usual last night, so..."
Armin gestured to a chair.
"Please, have a seat. We have something important to discuss."
Frankwine sat down sheepishly, but his mind was already racing with calculations.
All four of them were clearly exceptional fighters. And yet, their group included two innocent-looking young women.
It was a type of person rarely seen in Purgatory, where survival was everything.
*These guys... they're from another world.*
If so, that made things easier. Frankwine wasn't from Purgatory either.
"So, to what do I owe the pleasure of a visit from the fearsome folks who wiped out two of Yamaeng's capable men?"
He hadn't forgotten the deaths of his subordinates.
But Frankwine's emotion was not grief, but a purely business-like thought of at least earning back the price of their meat.
"We would like to rent the Munitions Community's factory."
"Hoh, starting off strong, are we? What are you planning to make?"
Armin provided only the information necessary for the deal.
The core of it was the construction of a large Tagis.
He added that they would bear the cost of all the necessary elixir and materials, and that the fee for renting the factory would also be paid in elixir.
Frankwine licked his lips.
It wasn't that he disliked the offer. To a merchant, every deal was golden.
It was just that the situation felt... strangely orchestrated.
First, the sudden quote from the Second Commander, Laceis. And now, a request to build a large Tagis, which was undoubtedly connected to the First Command.
*Something's definitely going down with the rebel forces.*
Armin emphasized again.
"We will make sure you are well compensated."
Frankwine snapped out of his thoughts and smiled brightly.
"For a job this big, of course you should come to us. I see now you're big shots. But you know, it takes more than just elixir to run the factory. As you know, we've been doing very well for ourselves lately."
"Then what?"
Elixir wasn't used like currency, but it was the most common method of exchange on the mainland.
Armin couldn't understand what Frankwine meant by elixir not being enough.
"Hmm, what to do about this."
Frankwine pretended to be lost in thought, then went to his desk and scribbled something down.
He tore a page from his notepad, crumpled it, and tossed it onto the table. Armin slowly uncrumpled it and read the contents.
From behind the blindfold, his Radiant Eyes flared to life.
Hunting List
1. Photosynthetic Monstrosity Olkir - Hunt Rank A
2. Bat Demon IjereMong - Hunt Rank A
3. Invisible Demon Hororos - Hunt Rank B
4. True Demonic Parasite Galtomik - Hunt Rank S
5. Infinite Cell Proliferator Kenser - Hunt Rank S
6. Glutton Demon Kujen - Hunt Rank A
7. Acid Toxin King Muusa - Hunt Rank B
8. Armor-Eating Mineral Ringer - Hunt Rank SS