Chapter 41: The Opponent
Chapter 41: The Opponent
Three figures emerged from the ruins.
One of them had a pointed nose and cheekbones, his eyes blinking occasionally, as he leaped out from the shadows and looked ahead.
"Nick, are you sure they've been here?"
"Of course."
Nick's eyes were a deep azure, and he muttered in response, "I've been tailing Aya and her gang for a full month. Even if you don't believe me, you should trust a rat's sense of smell."
"Ben!"
He turned to the last person, asking, "Do you think they're the ones the Brotherhood is after?"
"Does it matter if they are or not?" Ben chuckled at the question.
"What's most important is how a young girl with no backing could gather such a force in a short time."
"Don't you want to know where she got all that food?"
"Indeed." Nick nodded.
"If we can get our hands on her supply channels, even if we don't join the Brotherhood, we won't have lost anything."
No! The fear was that, in the end, it wouldn't be them scheming to join the Brotherhood, but the other way around.
Although they were initially tasked by the Brotherhood to find the murderer of the red-haired man, that matter now seemed insignificant compared to the current investigation.
With this thought, he couldn't help but chuckle.
"First, confirm if this is their trading spot. If it is, inform the leader to prepare."
Ben stretched his limbs, saying, "I'm sick of that dead girl already."
"So..." one of them said.
"Are you here for Aya?"
"Of course."
Ben nodded subconsciously, then suddenly spun around, his face filled with surprise as he looked towards the source of the voice.
"Who's there?"
Karl emerged from the darkness, his gaze sweeping over the three of them, and his expression slightly relaxed.
"At least it's not the worst-case scenario."
It seemed Aya hadn't betrayed him, and not even her gang members had colluded with outsiders, proving he hadn't chosen the wrong people.
His two days of waiting here hadn't been in vain.
"Move!"
Nick let out a low roar, his body lunging forward. With a swing of his arms, several darts shot out from his sleeves.
The other two reacted slightly slower, but their survival instincts in Black City kicked in, and they made their decision in an instant.
Following Nick's lead, they charged, one after the other.
Sensing someone spying on them, they immediately chose to attack, and their first move was lethal.
"Heh..."
Karl chuckled lightly.
Zero-Circle Spell - Lesser Force Field! As his psychic energy rose, the spell's power intensified, and an invisible force field enveloped the area.
In an instant, the incoming arrows seemed to plunge into water, their momentum drastically reduced as they approached Karl.
"Clang!"
With a gentle swing of his broadsword, the arrows were knocked away.
At the same time, Karl snapped his fingers with his left hand.
Light Spell! A blinding flash of light appeared.
The three attackers instinctively closed their eyes, their reactions delayed, and their movements completely disrupted.
Damn! "Huff..."
Karl stomped the ground, his body light as a bird, and the broadsword in his hand stirred up a gust of wind, rushing towards the trio.
Eagle Assault!
Gale Sword Technique!
He held nothing back, unleashing his signature combat technique.
Gale Slash! Several afterimages appeared out of thin air, merging with the broadsword's main body, enveloping all three in the arena in an instant.
The Lesser Force Field slowed their movements, making it impossible for them to mount a decent defense against the incoming attacks.
It was over in a flash.
"Puff!"
"Puff, puff!"
Blood splattered.
"Ah!"
Nick let out a miserable cry, his head thrown back, as a sharp-tipped chain shot out from his sleeve.
"Clatter!"
The chain danced, momentarily halting Karl's movements.
But that was all it did. With a swift retraction and release of his sword, a head soared high, and blood gushed from the headless corpse, spraying several feet into the air before it crumpled to the ground.
Dead!
A moment later, Karl, drenched in blood, crouched down and asked,
"So, the Brotherhood's red-haired member was murdered, and they couldn't find the killer right away, so they commissioned you, the local boss, to investigate, promising that if you found the murderer and avenged the red-haired man, you could join the Brotherhood."
"So, while investigating, you discovered Aya conducting secret transactions, and shifted your focus to that instead?"
"That's right." Ben's body was covered in blood, and he roared in anger, "You killed the Red-Haired man. The Brotherhood will never let you off, and neither will the leader with Aya and the others."
"You..."
"Must all die!"
Judging from his condition, he had endured much torture, and he knew his fate was sealed. His furious roar was merely a plea for a quick death.
"Perhaps."
Karl nodded, "Unfortunately, you won't be able to see it."
With that, he drew his broadsword and slashed, and Ben's body stiffened, the life fading from his eyes as he fell to the ground.
After killing the three, Karl didn't leave immediately. Instead, he took out a whistle and blew it loudly.
"Tweet..."
The sharp whistle echoed into the distance.
Soon after, Aya and Xiaonan emerged from a nearby crack, surveying their surroundings before charging towards Karl.
"Uncle."
"Uncle..." Aya looked at the bodies on the ground, her eyes widening in surprise, "What happened here?"
"We were being followed and investigated." Karl spoke softly, "Their leader is called Iron Fist Abe. Have you heard of him?"
"Iron Fist Abe?" Aya's expression changed, her eyes darkening, "Of course!"
"He's the local boss of Rakka Market, controlling over a dozen stalls. Lately, he's been causing us trouble."
It wasn't surprising that he had targeted Aya.
But the fact that he had also found Karl suggested that their transaction might have been exposed, which could be a matter of life and death for their small team.
Karl turned to Aya, asking, "What do you plan to do?"
He didn't mention the reason for his killing of the Red-Haired man, but instead wanted to see how Aya would handle this situation and if she could satisfy him.
"Uncle."
After a moment of silence, Aya suddenly spoke, "Xiaonan has already become a Knight Attendant."
"That's right!" Xiaonan, standing beside her, patted her chest, "Uncle Karl, I'm already a Knight Attendant now."
Knight Attendant?
Karl's eyes flickered in surprise.
This was beyond his expectations.
However, Xiaonan's physique was extraordinary, stronger than most adults despite her young age. With Elder Lev's teachings, her mastery of breath techniques and martial arts, and the ample nutrition she had received recently, it was only natural for her to become a Knight Attendant.
"So..."
He looked at Aya, "What were you saying?"
"I wanted to say..." Aya spoke slowly and deliberately, "I'm not that little girl who could be bullied at will anymore!"
Upon hearing this, a smile appeared on Karl's face.
Iron Fist Abe's den was not far from Rakka Market. With over twenty men, including himself, they occupied an old, dilapidated manor.
Night.
Several figures appeared nearby, surrounding the manor.
"Iron Fist Abe has two powerful experts by his side. Together with him, that's three Knight Attendants, the strongest among them."
"But Abe is a heavy drinker. He drinks every day, getting drunk to the point of passing out. Regardless, his combat strength diminishes significantly after drinking."
Aya spoke softly, "Wait for the right moment, then we'll rush in, take out his helpers first, and then surround Iron Fist Abe."
"Uncle."
She looked at Karl, "Please keep watch from the side."
"Alright."
Karl nodded.
Over the past few months, not only had Karl become stronger, but so had Aya, and they even had helpers for this mission.
(End of Chapter)
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