Chapter 64: Chaos

Chapter 64: Chaos

Fresh milk!

Sweet, soft bread!

All sorts of juicy and delicious fruits!

...

As the de facto ruler of the Black City, the City Guard naturally wouldn't skimp on their own provisions.

The warehouse was piled high with food and drinks, and even the air was filled with mouth-watering aromas.

For the people of the Black City, who had endured hunger and barely filled their stomachs for years, this place was like heaven!

Xiaonan and Lyon had never seen such a scene. Their eyes lit up, and if not for the inappropriate timing, they might have already pounced on the food pile and rolled around in it.

"Don't take the food."

Karl's voice was like a bucket of cold water poured over their heads, bringing them back to their senses from their frenzy:

"Take the truly valuable things!"

"Oh!"

The two snapped out of their daze.

There were only two of them, and even if they each had eight hands, they couldn't possibly carry away a tenth of what was here.

Especially the food.

Although tempting, it was relatively the cheapest.

Beast meat, rune seeds, recovery potions, and even the collected books were the real treasures.

Karl wasn't in a hurry to move. Instead, he quickly circled the warehouse and finally found what he was looking for in an inconspicuous corner.

These were two sacks of grain filled with soul dust.

Soul dust was the main ingredient for the sorcery potion, Wisdom's Light, but here it only had the effect of boosting one's spirit.

The City Guard hadn't discovered its true use, so they didn't pay much attention to the soul dust, storing it casually in sacks.

Karl lifted the sacks, his face filled with joy.

Two sacks of soul dust, weighing over a hundred pounds, would be enough to make at least a thousand portions of Wisdom's Light.

He had hit the jackpot!

So much soul dust, one person couldn't use it all in a lifetime!

Hmm?

He turned back and saw Xiaonan and Lyon holding a cloth bag, stuffing it with items.

Karl stroked his chin.

There were too many good things here. Taking only the soul dust would leave him feeling unfulfilled, but taking the soul dust meant he couldn't take much else.

After some thought, he went to the area in the warehouse where valuable items were kept and picked out the ones that caught his eye, placing them in a separate package.

He had to take the runes.

Although the ones here were of poor quality, in this world, runes were solid currency, and they could also be used to replicate the Zero Ring trick.

And the beast meat.

There were several high-quality beast meats in the warehouse, which he must take as well.

Life Elixir!

He had longed for this item for a long time. Three portions were clearly visible in a box, so he took them first.

Additionally...

The City Guard was also collecting various valuable items, such as gold, silver, jade, jewelry, and decorative items. Especially in one small box, there were several rare treasures that must not be left behind.

"Alright."

Seeing that everything was almost packed, Karl waved to the two:

"You two go first. I'll deal with this place, and even if the items are destroyed, they can't be left for the City Guard."

As he spoke, he waved his hand, casting a flame spell towards the food storage area, igniting a raging fire.

"Burn it?"

Xiaonan's face showed pain as he unconsciously picked up a bottle of milk nearby and gulped it down, then grabbed a piece of bread and shoved it into his mouth.

"Let's go."

Lyon, despite his small stature, carried a package larger than himself and struggled to run outside:

"We'll talk about it later."

After the two left, Karl picked up the items beside him and, with a single step, arrived at the Fragment of the Divine Domain.

He returned after putting down the items.

"Hmm!"

The quick round trip to the Fragment of the Divine Domain left him momentarily dazed, but he quickly recovered and picked up the package at his feet, heading outside.

At the same time.

He waved and threw out fireballs, turning the warehouse into a sea of flames.

"Uncle."

Xiaonan, carrying a package, looked at him in surprise:

"You're only taking this little?"

"It's quite a lot."

Karl carried the package and stepped forward:

"Let's go."

With Jacqueline leading the way, the three of them encountered no obstacles and headed straight to the surface.

By this time, chaos had erupted on the ground.

The miners who had rushed out of the underground were fighting with the City Guard, while most others chose to watch the commotion.

"Everyone!"

Jacqueline stood on a high platform and roared:

"Don't trust the City Guard. They claim to exchange resources for you, but they're actually confining people underground to dig tunnels!"

"I am Jacqueline of the Whisperers of the Wind. Just because I discovered an underground Forgotten City, they killed my commander, my comrades, my..."

"Swoosh!"

A blade of light slashed down.

"Get down from there!"

A heavily armored City Guard soldier charged towards Jacqueline, swinging his long sword, and the blade light flashed continuously.

Although not a knight, this person was very skilled and had the strength of a Peak Knight Attendant.

These people were the elite of the City Guard.

"And me!"

Dunlop stepped forward in Jacqueline's place:

"I'm Dunlop of the Shadow Alliance. Some of you here must know me. I hunted down a monster, hoping to exchange it for a rune."

"But..."

"They took me underground and made me dig tunnels!"

"Think about it. Hasn't someone suddenly disappeared recently? It's all the work of the City Guard!"

Whether it was Dunlop or Jacqueline, they were well-known figures in the Black City, and their words caused ripples in the crowd.

"Bang!"

A figure leaped from a distant rack:

"Dare to disturb the peace, seeking death!"

In mid-air, the person's arm extended, and a spear flashed out, piercing Dunlop from a distance.

Knight!

City Guard's Fifth Squad Captain, Walt!

"Bang!"

Dunlop blocked with his sword but couldn't withstand the powerful force of the attack and was thrown back by the spear.

After landing, he spat out blood, and his weapon fell to the side.

"Kill them all!"

Walt was tall and muscular, with a fierce face. At this moment, his eyes showed a murderous intent:

"Kill them all!"

"Who else dares to talk nonsense?"

Before he finished speaking, a figure in black armor had already rushed forward:

"I want to see what you can do."

Gale Slash!

Eight sword lights merged into a sword curtain, enveloping a terrifying force and pressing towards Walt.

"Clang!"

Walt blocked with his spear, his face changing color.

A knight?

What immense strength!

"Slap!"

Before he could adjust his breath, a blinding light flashed before his eyes, causing him to instinctively close them.

Light Spell!

Walt's heart pounded, and he quickly retreated.

"Trying to escape?"

Karl snorted:

"It's too late!"

Lesser Force Field!

Eagle Strike!

Gale Slash!

Although the Light Spell was just a zero-ring sorcery, he found it often useful in combat.

The broadsword slashed repeatedly, its sheer force overwhelming the opponent and forcing Walter to retreat. In the blink of an eye, he found himself in a dire situation.

"Die!" Karl roared.

Suddenly, flames erupted from the broadsword.

Flame Seal!

"Boom!"

The Flame Seal, empowered by immense strength, sent Walter flying. His armor plates scattered, and no one knew how many of his ribs had been shattered.

After landing, he struggled to get back up.

Karl took a step forward and stomped on Walter's chest, simultaneously raising his broadsword and thrusting it downward with tremendous force.

"Pfft!"

The sword pierced his heart, extinguishing his life.

"Xiaonan!"

"Ah!"

Xiaonan hesitated for a moment before rushing over.

Karl grabbed the package from Xiaonan's back and threw it into the sky with a powerful swing, simultaneously waving his broadsword.

"Shatter!"

Numerous valuable items, including beast meat and rune seeds, were scattered in all directions.

"Everyone!" Karl raised his hand and launched a fireball at a City Guard soldier.

"Kill them!"

"All these things are yours!"

"Boom!"

The fireball exploded, and the soldier screamed as he rushed into a house, which immediately caught fire.

The flames didn't just ignite on his body.

They also ignited in the hearts of many others, as those watching gasped with desire in their eyes.

Karl raised his hand again, throwing fireball after fireball towards the surrounding houses, tents, and City Guard soldiers.

"The City Guard is exploring the City of Forgotten Souls, and there aren't many people on the ground now. Walter is already dead by my hand."

"What are you afraid of?"

Karl raised his broadsword and roared, "Kill them! Take what rightfully belongs to you! Let's see if you have the guts!"

"Haha... " The bard, Mund, laughed heartily. "That's right!"

"Kill!"

Saying so, he charged towards the City Guard's squad, sword in hand.

"Clang..." Someone slowly drew their longsword.

"Exactly!"

A person whispered, their lifeless eyes now gleaming with madness. "It's time to make them pay!"

"Fuck this!"

Someone roared and rushed towards the beast meat on the ground. "It's all mine!"

"Whoosh..."

In an instant, the hearts of the people of Black City, already harboring a beast within, were stirred by the chaos and desire, awakening their inner beasts.

"Boom!"

The crowd began to stir, and chaos emerged.

"Go!"

Karl pulled Xiaonan and Lyon close and whispered, "Go find Aya and the others."

"Uncle..."

Xiaonan, still heartbroken over the loss of her package, blinked and asked, "What's next?"

"Let's leave the city!"

Karl spoke up, "Let's get out of Black City!"

Karl hadn't expected that his actions would cause such a massive disturbance.

Within a short time, Rakka Market was in complete chaos.

And the unrest was spreading.

"The City Guard's knights are all gone. What's there to be afraid of?"

"Charge!"

"Brothers, what are you waiting for? Let's loot!"

"..."

The people of Black City had endured enough exploitation by the City Guard. Now, seeing a glimmer of hope, they went crazy.

They pounced on the City Guard soldiers, shouting and killing.

Many others, however, took advantage of the chaos to target the City Guard's stalls and shops.

Those who had survived in Black City were cunning, cruel, and greedy, and their combined desires quickly turned the city into a complete mess.

Gradually, they didn't just target the City Guard.

They started looting from each other! The unrest spread further, and the core area of Black City was engulfed in flames and cries of battle.

The City Guard soldiers not only failed to suppress the unrest but were themselves engulfed by the chaos, which only fueled the momentum of the rioters.

At a certain stronghold.

A group of people emerged from a room, their eyes filled with madness as they looked towards the direction of Rakka Market.

"Commander!"

"After so many years, Black City is finally in chaos. Should we make our move?"

"Yes!"

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Everyone started shouting.

"Then let's go!"

The commander grabbed a spiked club, grinning widely, and pointed towards the market. "Brothers, follow me!"

"Fuck them! Loot everything!"

"Charge!"

At a ruined site.

A group of mercenaries stood up, looking at each other with a strange excitement filling the air.

Someone drew a dagger and licked it with their tongue. "This atmosphere... I love it!"

"Let's cause chaos!"

"The more chaos, the better!"

The captain raised his spear and shook it. "Gather the nearby people. Let's join the chaos. Someone will deal with it later."

"Yes!"

"That's right!"

Of course, some chose to join the chaos, while others fled towards the city's edge.

And even...

They took the opportunity to leave Black City.

"Uncle!"

Aya quickly packed up the items in the stronghold, and with a flick of her wrist, two daggers appeared in her palms. "You've been gone for so long, and now you're finally back. What happened?"

"Now's not the time for explanations." Karl grabbed a black cloth and swept the items inside. "Let's leave first."

He had become much stronger but didn't think he could stand against the City Guard, especially with mercenaries also in the city.

There were at least a dozen knights alone.

And Commander Hal, the top warrior among them! With the City Guard and mercenary experts underground, and the city in chaos, it was the perfect opportunity to leave.

Aya paused for a moment, then nodded.

"Okay."

"There are some things underground as well."

Even a cunning rabbit has three burrows, and she had prepared more than one stronghold.

"Never mind that." Karl shook his head and strode towards the exit.

"Which direction is less guarded?"

"I know a secret passage." Aya slung the package on her back and jogged to catch up, pointing south. "Uncle Kolan used this route, but he was still discovered by the City Guard after leaving the city."

"Then let's go that way." Karl waved his hand, signaling for the others to follow.

The group of seven rushed towards the secret passage Aya had mentioned. Along the way, they could hear faint battle cries coming from the direction of the city gates.

Obviously,

Others were also trying to escape the city in the chaos, but the gates, easy to defend and hard to attack, were not an easy target.

"This way!"

Aya waved, leading them to a ruined site and pushing aside a pile of wood.

Behind them, a small path was revealed, marked by a trail of flattened grass and fresh footprints.

"Hmm?" Aya paused, then quickly regained her composure. "The grass is flattened, someone must have passed through here."

This secret passage was known to Aya and her group, and it was possible that others were aware of it too. After all, there are no absolute secrets in this world.

"Hmm," Karl nodded, taking the lead and walking forward.

The secret passage led directly to the city wall, where a hole at the base should have been blocked by stones.

Now, the hole was torn open.

Beyond the hole, a dense forest came into view.

The Black City lacked a moat, and with few people entering or leaving over the decades, the outside had become overgrown with vegetation.

"We're out?" Xiaonan exclaimed, her face full of surprise as she repeatedly turned back towards the location of the city wall. "We're really out?" she asked in disbelief.

"Yes," Aya replied, her voice filled with wonder. "We're out, we've left... the Black City!"

For countless days and nights, they had dreamed of leaving the Black City, a place filled with nightmares and death.

But the many obstacles had deterred them from taking action.

And now, suddenly, they had escaped the city.

The ease of their escape was unexpected.

However, instead of feeling joy, they were filled with confusion and uncertainty.

"Not yet," Karl shook his head. "At least we need to get away from the Black City and escape the pursuit of the City Guard."

He turned around and looked into the depths of the forest, where faint figures could be seen moving about.

Apparently, those who had tried to escape before them were less fortunate and were being hunted by the City Guard.

"Pfft!"

"Ah!"

The flash of blades and the clashing of swords was followed by screams.

Seven City Guard soldiers cut down those attempting to flee, and they parted the grass and vines to approach the group.

"Are there more people trying to escape through here?" one of the soldiers sneered. "Looks like keeping this hole open has some use after all. At least it can provide us with some entertainment when we're bored."

They had obviously known about this passage for a while, and the reason they hadn't blocked it was to alleviate their boredom.

"Be careful," another soldier spoke up. "There are quite a few people coming out this time."

"What's there to be afraid of?"

The soldier raised the crossbow in his hand.

"We have these!"

The crossbow in his hand could only fire three bolts at a time, but it had enough power to threaten even a knight.

With four crossbows among them, they had nothing to fear, not even if knights were to appear.

"Heh..."

Karl shook his head and chuckled, raising his left hand. "Guna!"

"Swish!"

Armor materialized out of thin air and quickly equipped itself onto his body, and a cold-blooded Obsidian Warrior stood before them.

The atmosphere in the area became tense.

The faces of the City Guard soldiers stiffened, and their eyes revealed fear as they subconsciously took a step back.

What was this?

Not only the soldiers, but also Aya and the others, who were seeing this for the first time, were shocked. Then, their faces lit up with joy.

"Swish!"

Figures moved in the shadows.

The ground beneath Karl's feet exploded, and he used the momentum to instantly rush in front of one of the soldiers.

He swung his sword!

Furious Strike!

Slash!

"Pfft!"

The broadsword slashed from the forehead down to the groin, splitting the City Guard soldier in two.

"Ah!"

"Kill him!"

The remaining City Guard soldiers were terrified, frantically pulling the triggers of their crossbows. Some even turned and ran without a word.

"Thud!"

The crossbow bolts landed on Karl's armor, creating only a few sparks.

Karl was like a reaper of souls, swinging his broadsword and taking a life with each strike.

There were seven soldiers, at least three of whom were Knight Attendants, yet they had no power to resist Karl.

In the blink of an eye, corpses littered the ground.

Karl sheathed his sword.

"Pick up their crossbows and gather your things. Let's go."

"Ah..." Aya was taken aback, then nodded repeatedly.

"Yes!"

They had thought this journey would be extremely dangerous, but Karl had already resolved it without them lifting a finger.

Xiaonan and Lyon, who had some understanding of Karl's strength, were not surprised by this.

"Uncle," Aya spoke up. "The closest city to the Black City is Vitri City, also known as the Sunlit City or Free Harbor."

"Old Lev said that Vitri City has no City Guard, and even the lord cannot arbitrarily oppress the common people."

"Let's go there!"

"Do you know the way?" Karl asked, turning his head.

"No," Aya shook her head, then added, "But I know the direction!"

"The Adery River is ahead. Follow the river west until it flows into the Endless Sea, and you'll reach Vitri City."

"It's easy to find," Karl nodded. "You go first, and I'll catch up with you in a while."

"..." Aya's steps faltered. "Uncle..."

The others also looked flustered.

To be honest, they were all relatively young, and leaving the Black City had left them even more uncertain about their future.

Karl was the pillar of their group.

Hearing that Karl didn't plan to accompany them, they couldn't help but feel anxious.

The group arrived at a hill, and Karl stood at the top, turning to look back at the Black City.

"There might be pursuers, and I can help intercept them. Plus, I have some matters to attend to."

"Uncle..." Aya began.

"No need to say more," Karl raised his hand, cutting her off. "If you could survive in the Black City, you'll definitely be able to live better outside of it."

"Besides, we're not really separating. It's just temporary. I have a way to find you."

"Go!"

He waved his hand. "Hurry, while the chaos in the city hasn't been resolved and the City Guard hasn't discovered anyone escaping. Go!"

"..." Aya's expression changed, and after a long while, she slowly nodded. "Yes."

The group watched Karl, taking a step and turning back every three steps as they headed towards the river. It was only after a long time that their figures gradually disappeared from sight.

"Phew..."

Karl exhaled heavily.

"Finally, I'm alone."

The next moment, he stepped towards the Fragment of the Divine Domain.

Before he could even sort out his gains from this trip, the package on his body trembled, and two items flew out on their own.

Hmm? Karl was taken aback.

Then, his face lit up with joy.

Essence!

The chapter has been updated. Tomorrow at noon, there will be a combined update of two chapters, maintaining the daily minimum of 4,000 words. Please support with monthly votes...

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end