Chapter 159: You Are Also...
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 159: You Are Also...
Cold sweat dripped from the tip of Lorenzo’s nose.
Even Schulz couldn't help but mutter a low curse.
Emerging from the shadows of the rooftops alongside that dwarf-like figure were over a dozen gaunt silhouettes.
These figures were all clad in black, their auras suppressed to the point of being nearly imperceptible. In terms of raw numbers, they were far fewer than the Red Fire Gang elites standing behind Lorenzo.
Yet, the moment they appeared, every person in the alley—whether they were thugs who lived by the blade or elites who had long since put their lives on the line—stiffened instinctively. They felt like wild beasts being cornered by hunters.
Looking up, they saw the bowstrings in the shadows pulled taut by mechanical cranks, ready to fire at a moment's notice. The sharp, likely poisoned bolt-tips glinted with a deathly chill under the indifferent moonlight.
There were fifteen military magic repeating crossbows in total, and they looked brand new. Though few in number, their high-ground advantage was enough to turn everyone in the alley into pincushions within thirty seconds!
"The Rat Society? Sam Jade?"
Lorenzo stared fixedly at the dwarf-like figure, trembling with a rage that nearly consumed him. "You’re sticking your nose in this too?"
Compared to large-scale syndicates like the Red Fire Gang or bands of thugs like the Hyena Gang, the Rat Society didn't have much of a reputation among the commoners of the Lower District. However, it was an organization that every major power in the district dreaded.
They were the "black gloves" of the nobility—specialists who handled the filthy work that the high-born lords didn't want to stain their own hands with!
By all rights, they shouldn't have involved themselves in a mess like this.
Furthermore, those magic repeating crossbows...
Lorenzo shot a subtle glance at his confidant. The man scanned the serial numbers and bloodstains on the crossbows, his eyes darkening as he gave a silent, grim nod.
Damn it!
"Cackle... Honestly, I didn't want to get involved. But who can blame me? Something like Ancient Dragon Heart Blood is just too tempting for people like us, who usually only get to pick at the breadcrumbs dropped by the lords."
Sam Jade, standing barely four feet tall, leaned half of his ugly face out of the shadows and grinned.
"It’s the middle of the night, and I’m not really in the mood for a bloodbath. Mr. Lorenzo, how about you sell me five drops for twenty-five million as well?"
"In your dreams!"
Lorenzo felt like his blood vessels were about to burst.
You want five drops for twenty-five million.
He wants five drops for twenty-five million.
In the end, I’ll have nothing left, and I’ll be down fifty million!
What kind of ultimate, world-class sucker would do that? He’d become a laughingstock, an urban legend of Belland!
"Is that so? What a pity."
Sam smacked his lips and turned his gaze toward Schulz.
"Then, Mr. Schulz, how about we team up? We split the stolen Ancient Dragon Heart Blood fifty-fifty."
"This..."
Schulz’s eyes narrowed slightly, clearly tempted.
If they could just take it, why bother buying it?
In the current situation, Lorenzo was at a total disadvantage. If he joined forces with the Rat Society, success was practically guaranteed...
"Schulz, you’d actually dare to trust these treacherous rats? Aren't you afraid they’ll bite you the moment it’s over, and you won't even see a single drop?"
Lorenzo sneered. He wasn't worried at all about these self-serving bastards actually cooperating. As his confidant had said, the chances of them working together were lower than the chances of Miss Seth turning over a new leaf and becoming a nun.
Sure enough, a cold light flickered in Schulz’s eyes as he looked at Sam.
"Mr. Sam, if you want to cooperate, you’ll need to show a bit of sincerity."
"Sincerity? Is my sincerity not enough?"
Sam stroked the repeating crossbow in his hands as if he were caressing the skin of a lover.
"The fact that I didn't turn you into a pincushion the moment I arrived—isn't that the greatest sincerity I could offer?"
"You!"
Schulz gripped his cane, veins bulging on the back of his hand. His aged face was masked with murderous intent.
These damn rats really were up to no good!
"Sam, do you really think you’ve got us cornered?" Lorenzo suddenly asked in a cold voice.
"Cackle, isn't that obvious?"
Sam shot Lorenzo a mocking look, shaking the weapon in his hand. "Or do you think you can outrun my 'big baby' here?"
Lorenzo’s expression suddenly turned calm, as if his previous anger and hysteria had been nothing but an illusion.
He abruptly pulled open the collar of his shirt, revealing a faint blue glow beneath. He sneered, "Looking at this, do you still have the confidence to say that?"
"That’s—"
Sam’s pupils shrank as he gasped, "Magic Armor?"
Hidden beneath Lorenzo’s clothes was a layer of soft armor that clung to his skin. Blue light, representing magic circuits, pulsed across its surface. Though it was soft armor, it radiated a fierce, aggressive aura no different from a sharpened blade.
This was Lorenzo’s final trump card. It was the reason why, despite knowing time was of the essence, he had only walked quickly instead of running.
This armor, while form-fitting, was incredibly heavy and slowed his pace significantly. However, once activated, it could drastically boost his combat power for a short duration.
More importantly, it could provide a degree of protection against those magic repeating crossbows!
"Damn it, how did you get your hands on something like that!"
Realizing the situation had turned sour, Sam’s face darkened. He knew that the moment Lorenzo revealed the Magic Armor, the advantage of his crossbows vanished.
If they went into a direct confrontation, he might still hold the upper hand due to his positioning, but there was still the Hyena Gang watching like a hawk from the side!
Sam couldn't help but feel a bit relieved. To save his precious magic bolts, he hadn't chosen to launch a sneak attack. Otherwise, this gang war would have escalated to an irreversible point.
"Fuck."
"Dammit."
"Son of a bitch."
And so, in this increasingly bizarre atmosphere, the three gang leaders of the Lower District—brought together by the Ancient Dragon Heart Blood—simply stood there, staring at one another.
The tension remained high, weapons drawn.
But no one dared to actually strike. Instead, they fell into an incredibly awkward stalemate.
It was as ridiculous as it was pathetic.
*
"Three factions? Besides the Red Fire Gang, who else is there?"
In the Lower District, atop the Tower Bridge by the Gulain River, Muen used a pair of binoculars to observe the developments in the alley from his high vantage point.
It was difficult to recall who the other two factions were based on the original novel’s brief mentions, but Muen didn't particularly care.
With his status, he didn't need to worry about which gutter these various "monsters and demons" had crawled out of. He only needed to confirm their location and ensure the Ancient Dragon Heart Blood was still in their possession.
"Well then, time to get to work."
Muen prepared to leave.
However, just as he stood up, he noticed another figure in a black robe perched on a different section of the Tower Bridge not far away. That person was also using binoculars to watch the scene below, muttering strange things to themselves.
"Fight! Come on, start fighting already!"
"I went through all the trouble of running out early to tip everyone off. If you don't fight, how am I supposed to fish in troubled waters?"
"Grandmother’s teeth... you’re really not going to fight, are you?"
"If you won't fight, don't blame me for being ruthless!"
The figure slammed their binoculars down in frustration and stood up angrily.
It seemed only then that the figure noticed Muen nearby. They turned their head and stared at Muen for a long time—long enough to make Muen’s skin crawl, wondering if he’d run into another creep—before the person spoke in a disguised, yet strangely amiable voice:
"Friend over there... are you also here to be the yellow bird?"