The ruined city was big, stretching endlessly, but nothing but a mere desolate husk of its former self. All one could see was crumbling buildings looming over narrow, uneven streets littered with debris and the remains of a civilization long past.

It was similar to the outer part of the city, but a bit better.

Alex and Baldon—the guy Alex had tortured—were walking through these streets right now, talking about this and that as if they were long-lost friends. Only poor Baldon knew what kind of friendship they had.

[The deeper we go, the stronger the people are,] Sophie commented as she observed the surroundings as did Alex.

Alex nodded inwardly. He could already feel the number of eyes filled with greed and malice pressing heavier on him. It was clear that the owners of those gazes were also stronger. But none of them dared to move.

Why?

‘Fly-warding Baldon charm is working perfectly, at least,’ chuckled Alex as he smiled at Baldon, who felt a chill run down his spine.

The guy wasn’t even aware that he was used as a repellent for unnecessary trouble for Alex. It was not like he would object even if he knew.

[Well, he’s stronger than all of those sitting around here, and yet he’s behaving so subserviently toward you.] Sophie said, her tone relaxed and unbothered. [Even fools would know how to act in this situation.]

It was true that people here were hungry and would kill to get the meat in Alex’s hand, but they wouldn’t just jump into something that would result in their deaths.

“—is how our boss looks,” Baldon, oblivious to Alex and Sophie’s conversation, described how his boss looks. He was a bit confused as to why Alex would want this information even though they were headed to meet the person in question, but he didn’t say anything.

Baldon had long forsaken the desire of trying to understand Alex’s intentions.

“I see…” Alex nodded thoughtfully, noting the features of the boss, smirking as he found confusion in Baldon’s expression.

“Tell me more about your boss’s strength,” he asked, trying to gather more information about this boss of the city.

Baldon, limping slightly from the residual pain in his body, cast a wary glance at Alex, his breath still ragged. “The boss… the boss’s not like the others you’ve faced,” he muttered. “Boss’s different. Strong.”

Alex waited for a while before he frowned, turning to Baldon, who seemed to have said all he wanted to say. “That’s it? I asked about their strength, and all you have to say is that they’re strong?”

His smile turned menacing as he added, “It seemed that your brain is unable to process my words well.”

Panic took over Baldon as he saw Alex’s smile. “N-No! I-I was about to tell you more!” He quickly added, “The boss can defeat me with a single slap. That’s how strong the boss is!”

Hearing those words, Alex raised a brow. ‘Defeating a two-star, star connection realm expert with a single slap, huh?’

[His boss must at least be a four-star, star connection realm expert, if not stronger.] Sophie deduced, and Alex nodded to that.

Patting Baldon’s shoulder, Alex smirked. “Looks like your brain’s working fine for now.”

Those words brought immense ease to Baldon, so much so that he finally let go of the breath he had been holding in.

But Alex wasn’t done with his questions yet. As they walked, he decided to pry further. “Tell me about your little organization, Baldon. What exactly do you people do?”

Baldon hesitated, but one glance at Alex’s eyes made him speak. “Dark work. Slave trading, prostitution, extortion, assassinations. You name it, we do it. The boss took over this place years ago, and we turned it into our own kingdom of filth.”

‘Hah…’ Hearing those words, Alex sighed inwardly, having already expected this. ‘Well, I guess I don’t have to pull my punches on you guys anymore.’

Alex was going to at least give a chance to them before, as he didn’t want to be blamed for the deaths of the innocents, but he didn’t care anymore.

[They could’ve used their collective power to clear the surrounding area of demonic creatures and farm or raise edible monsters.] Sophie said as she heard Baldon’s words, but Alex just shook his head at that.

‘No one wants to do hard work. The things they do here are easier.’ Sophie went silent at Alex’s words, knowing it was the truth.

“Efficient,” Alex mused, not letting his internal thoughts show on his face. “And yet, you’re all still scavenging in a ruined city. Seems like a waste.”

Baldon let out a dry chuckle. “We thrive in the filth. The boss doesn’t care about rebuilding—only control. And as long as people are desperate, there’s always a market for suffering.”

Their conversation came to a halt as they reached their destination. Before them stood the remnants of what had once been a grand palace. Now, its gates were rusted and worn, its walls cracked and weathered by time. The entrance was guarded by several men, their weapons raised as soon as they spotted Baldon and Alex.

“Who the hell—?” One of them started to speak, but before he could finish, Alex flicked his sword.

A single slash.

Blood sprayed across the cracked stone walls as their bodies crumpled like discarded dolls. The scent of death thickened in the air as Alex calmly observed the corpses, Baldon trembling at his side.

“W-What now?” Baldon stammered. He could feel that Alex had something to ask from him.

Alex glanced at him. “You all seem… well-fed. Strange for a place like this. Why?”

He could see that the two guys he killed—members of the same gang as Baldon—were healthy, just like Baldon, and found it strange. After all, they had no sign of undernourishment on any of them.

Baldon swallowed hard, his voice coming in a rushed whisper. “The tree. It’s at the center of the castle. By sacrificing living beings to it, we get fruit and water. The fruit is more nutritious than anything you’ve ever—”

Woosh!

Before Baldon could complete his words, a sharp whistle cut through the air, and the next second…

Pierce!

With a sick sound of blood and bones being pierced, an arrow punctured Baldon’s throat before he could react.

The guy’s eyes widened in shock as blood bubbled up from his mouth. He collapsed onto the ground, twitching once before lying still in a growing pool of red.

“He was still somewhat useful.” Alex sighed, shaking his head as his eyes shifted to a shadowy figure perched atop a nearby window. “Couldn’t you have killed him later?”

The shadowy figure was the archer, one of the strongest warriors in the castle. Baldon had told Alex about that guy.

The archer, however, sneered when he heard Alex’s words. “A traitor deserves to die.”

“I see.” With a glint of realization in his eyes, Alex glanced at Baldon’s corpse, shaking his head. ‘Do you know the reason why I asked the information about the crew beforehand?’

Alex had known that the guy would die. No leader would want a traitor among their subordinates. Even Alex would kill a traitor the moment they appeared.

But then, his gaze returned to the archer. “But there’s something you don’t know.” He spoke with a lazy expression, his posture relaxed, making the archer frown.

Crack!

The next second, a crackling sound was heard. The archer heard it, his instincts screaming, but before he could move a muscle, a streak of lightning split the air, striking him.

“Gah!!” The archer’s body convulsed as the force sent him tumbling from the window, crashing into the courtyard below in a lifeless heap.

Alex exhaled slowly, shaking his head as he completed his words. “Justice means nothing when delivered by a dead man.”

Then he smirked. ‘Let’s move on to the main dish,’ he thought, and as if addressing another unseen presence, he turned to another window. “Do you want to see more?”

Silence.

For a while, there was nothing but stunned silence.

Then, with an amused chuckle, a man clad in luxurious yet worn garments leaped from the window. He landed gracefully, flanked by three stunning women and two towering warriors. His demeanor was authoritative and calm as he inched closer to Alex.

“I like you,” the man said, stepping forward. “You’re bold and ruthless. We could have a lot to talk about.”

Alex tilted his head, studying him. The guy seemed to be the boss. And judging by his aura, it was no surprise he had taken over this place. He was strong.

“We’ll see if you’re worth my time,” Alex said, amusement audible in his voice.

The boss merely grinned. “Likewise.”

Without another word, they strode into the castle together, neither making a move, both assessing the other. The bodies left behind were already forgotten.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep