Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 9 Setting Off Towards Destiny

4:30 a.m., Hongfang Street.

Leyok's figure suddenly appeared on the roof of a house, and then vanished like a ghost.

The next moment, he reappeared in the alley next to the house.

The next moment, his robes swept up onto the wide road.

They moved nimbly and darted about, coming and going with ease.

As the most promising assassin in the Black Street Brotherhood, this level of movement was commonplace for Lyok: his targets were often caught off guard and killed.

Except for today.

Leyok slowly moved forward, stepping over a pool of blood.

On the wide street, dark blood had soaked almost every crack in the bricks. Dozens of corpses lay scattered among them, some of them Brotherhood elites wrapped in black silk, others of the Blood Bottle Gang with red headscarves.

A gentle breeze lifted a piece of black silk cloth from the pile of corpses, accompanied by a sharp whistling sound.

Like an antelope, Leyok suddenly turned around and roared at the black cloth flying towards him!
His figure vanished again!

When the assassin reappeared, he was already on the shop sign across the street.

The wind subsided.

Black Thick fell to the ground, right where Leyok had just been standing.

Leyok stared intently at the piece of silk, his eyes blazing with fury.

It looked as if the silk cloth was chasing him, and he was trying his best to shake off the pursuer.

The faint sounds of fighting could be heard in the distance.

The assassin's clothes began to flutter—the wind picked up again.

The next second, Leyok's slightly anxious expression suddenly vanished, replaced by calmness and ruthlessness.

In a flash, Leyok hunched over, his scimitar flashing out from under his left armpit at an uncanny angle, like an Amanita snake hunting its prey, striking towards his own left rear with lightning speed!
It pierced the air behind him.

however……

"His!"

The sound of tearing fabric came from behind.

The gentle breeze suddenly shifted, intensified dramatically, and the wind howled loudly!
The assassin leaped off the sign, tumbling in the air, but his lips were already curled up.

A single strike hits.

Leyok landed smoothly and silently, thinking to himself.

"'The Ghost of the Wind,' Rolf."

As the wind blew away, he whispered his opponent's name.

"We finally meet."

Leyok raised his scimitar, wiping the blood from the tip with satisfaction. The anxiety and anger on his face had vanished, replaced by a slightly manic excitement.

The silence didn't last long. Amid the renewed sound of the wind, another voice faintly reached Leyok's ears.

"So you're 'Silent Killer' Leyok?"

"That's a really good nickname."

It was a strange and effeminate male voice, drifting in from all directions along with the rising and falling wind.

"Are you just lucky, or did you really sense my location?"

But Leyok simply observed his surroundings quietly, maintaining his original posture without uttering a sound.

That voice rang out in the wind, as clear as a hanging bell:
"It's a waste for an assassin like you to be in the Brotherhood."

As the wind subsided, a figure appeared on the road in front of Leyok.

A blue-haired man wearing a gray bodysuit and with tattoos on his face chuckled as he touched his left collarbone.

There, blood was slowly flowing from a wound.

The moment Leyok saw his opponent clearly, his pupils suddenly contracted.

His previous strike should have perfectly pierced his opponent's heart.

It was pulled out the instant the atrial blood vessel was punctured.

result……

His own scimitar only grazed the opponent's collarbone?

Leyok was momentarily surprised when he saw the grinning man in front of him.

But the experienced Leyok quickly ducked, regained his composure, and silently prepared for his next strike.

An assassin must always have absolute confidence in his next strike.

Seeing his opponent's reaction, the tattooed man—Rolf, known as the "Ghost of the Wind"—also tensed slightly.

At this moment, Leyok's eyes were sinister, and he stood motionless on the ground like a statue, like an old tree rooted to the ground, silent yet unsettling.

"Hmm, maybe you're not as weak as the rumors suggest."

Rolf hummed softly and nodded, spreading his legs slightly with a hint of apprehension, as if acknowledging his opponent.

Leyok, as always, remained motionless.

The next encounter is just around the corner.

But a few seconds later, Rolf, known as the "Ghost of the Wind," changed his expression.

“Never mind,” Rolf turned to look at another street. “I didn’t expect that Karka would actually be killed by Morris. I should say, that fatso really lives up to his reputation as one of the Brotherhood’s six leaders.”

Rolf turned his head and squinted at the still quiet and gloomy Leyok.

"I'll go into hiding for a bit, but don't get me wrong," the Ghost of the Wind snorted softly.
"Our game isn't over yet, 'Silent Killer'."

The next moment, with a sudden gust of wind, Rolf disappeared from sight.

Leyok held the position for a full three seconds.

Three seconds later, he slowly let out a sigh of relief, and his tense muscles relaxed.

At the same time, Morris, one of the six big bosses of the Black Street Brotherhood and the mastermind behind the human trafficking business, appeared around the corner with a menacing look on his face and a team of his men.

“Boss!” Leyok immediately straightened up and saluted Morris.

"It's 'The Ghost of the Wind' Rolf." In response to the other's doubt, the assassin gestured with his lip towards the direction the enemy had gone.

The large Maurice nodded and casually tossed a person—or rather, a corpse—from his hands to the ground.

The deceased was a robust man, but he seemed to be in extreme pain before his death.

If the Brotherhood's personal quack doctor, Dr. Ramon, were here, he would quickly deduce:

The burly man before you is Karka, a superhuman warrior from a nomadic tribe on the Kiseri Grassland of the Eastern Continent, and a key figure in the Blood Bottle Gang.

Before he died, his lips were purple, his eyes were bloodshot, and his fingernails were pink.

The cause of death was... of course, suffocation.

"Have you found the others?" Maurice asked gravely.

He stepped over Karka's corpse, showing no joy whatsoever at eliminating a formidable foe of the Blood Bottle Gang.

Lyok struggled to pull his attention away from the corpse, shaking his head gravely.
"No. But I encountered transparent barriers in several places, sometimes in front of me, sometimes behind me, as if... the air had suddenly frozen."

"We were forced to separate and had to take detours in order to reunite."

"Air?" Morris's eyes narrowed slightly.

The assassin gestured, his tone heavy with worry:
"Yes, I initially thought it was you, boss, but that's too..."

Leyok glanced cautiously at his superior:
“I suspect that there is another powerful superhuman in the Blood Bottle Gang, someone we don’t know, with similar abilities to yours, and that he made his move tonight.”

Morris did not speak.

He just frowned deeply.

A few seconds later.

"That's not a superpower."

"No one's innate superpowers could achieve this."

Under Leyok's questioning gaze, Morris gritted his teeth, his face grim: "That's an 'invisible wall'."

"The one who made the move was a Qi Mage."

Leyok was stunned.

Magician?
A mage of air?
Is he rumored to be one of the two leaders of the Blood Bottle Gang?

Lyok tried hard to recall his impressions of magic users, but was surprised to find that in his years in the underworld, he could not find any clear details related to magic users; his memory was full of rumors and legends.

A mage in the Blood Vial Gang.

They're like... like "Black Sword" from the Black Street Brotherhood.

Recalling the legends of the "Black Sword" within the Brotherhood, Lyok felt a chill run down his spine.

To ensure a foolproof surprise attack, the Brotherhood gathered almost all of its elite forces from Everstar City headquarters, organizing them into groups to strike unexpectedly and deliver a fatal blow.

However, at the very beginning of the attack, the Brotherhood's elite forces were scattered by several powerful forces and strong winds. The "wall of air" that Morris had mentioned mysteriously appeared, separating the various parts of Red Street. The Brotherhood's powerful elite forces instantly split into a multi-headed snake that could not support each other.

In the bard's hymns, the multi-headed serpent Kirica was ultimately killed by the hero Nekaru, who chopped off all its heads one by one.

Therefore, the one who used this strange method to distract them was the "Qi Demon Master" who had only been known by name for many years but never seen in person.
Leyok curled his lips into a smile, the scimitar in his hand trembling with excitement:
Not every operation of the Brotherhood will lead to an encounter with the legendary leader of the Blood Bottle Gang.

This is a rare opportunity.

But he didn't notice his boss's expression.

"Damn it, what bad luck..."

Morris, the obese tycoon of the fraternity, spat angrily, a deep and complex expression on his face.

Morris was far from as at ease as he appeared. He listened to the constant sounds of fighting around him and tried to determine his location.

"It should have been a brilliant victory for us, a surprise attack on Red Town Street, but..."

Morris snorted coldly:

"With such a commotion just now, the West City Police Department, which is responsible for security here, didn't react at all—they've probably been bribed, and the entire Red Town Street is so empty... Damn it, we've been ambushed by the Blood Bottle Gang."

Besides...

Morris gritted his teeth, his mind racing, his heart pounding faster and faster.

A mage of Qi.

That guy is here.

That rascal.

But tonight, the Qi Mage shouldn't be here... It shouldn't know these things...

“We have a mole.” Morris spat angrily.
"When I get back, I'm going to squeeze Lancer's lungs out. What lousy intelligence he gave me."

Leyok wisely lowered his head, refraining from joining his superior in cursing the other "Big Six" of the fraternity.

but……

The legendary mage of air.

What is the boss's plan to do against him?

Leyok was eager to try.

however……

"Since the enemy is a magic user..."

Morris took a deep breath, turned abruptly, and raised his voice to give the order:

"Then let's retreat!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Leyok and the others looked up in surprise.

Retreat...retreat?

Morris stated unequivocally, "Our operation to raid Red Street has been a complete failure."

A total failure?

Leyok couldn't believe his ears.

Although an accident occurred...

but.

It's only just begun!

Moreover, it can lure out the other side's leader...

"Spread out and give the order to all your men: Abandon the objective, return to the original route, and break through with all your might!" Maurice gritted his teeth fiercely.
"Let's go back to Black Street!"

Leyok stared blankly at his decisive boss.

Several months of preparation...

Such a high price...

Just give up?

A mage of air...

Leyok felt an overwhelming sense of doubt and resentment:

Are air magic users really that scary?

----

Yara looked at Thales, her expression gradually fading.

Time seemed to have passed for a very long time.

But Thales just stared at her without moving.

Until the other person exhaled and gently lowered their head.

"Smelly brat."

Yara remained expressionless, staring at the dimly lit floor of the cellar.

This made Thales so afraid that he didn't dare to breathe.

But the young female bartender quickly said:

"You, you, has anyone ever told you this..."

Thales listened intently.

"You're precocious?"

This time it was Thales' turn to be stunned.

precocious?

this……

Quickly think about how the time-traveling predecessors managed to get away with things when they were suspected by the locals.

The boy scratched his head, blushed, and said shyly:
"Hehe, am I precocious? Haha, well, Yara, I understand what you mean, but I'm still enjoying my single life right now, and I don't want to..."

"Ding!"

Yara's expression twisted instantly, and she jabbed a finger hard into Thales' forehead!

"Kid, you'd better stop this now!"

"Also, call me Sister Yara!"

Thales rubbed his forehead in pain, but a memory faded before his eyes.

It was a warm, sunny afternoon.

"Wu Qiren! Dota 2 won't collapse without you! You better know when to stop!"

"Enough is enough... Why do you keep saying the same thing lately?"

"Hey, hey, that's a famous quote from anime, of course you have to... why are you still scheduling the next show?!"

"Oh, my friend invited me to play games with them, I feel bad refusing!"

"Your Dota skill level? Pshaw! You better stop this now!"

"The same thing again... Hey, my gaming mouse!"

Thales rubbed his head, burying the memory deep in his mind.

What's wrong with me lately? I'm having more and more flashbacks.

It's not a bad thing, but it always happens at crucial moments...

Thales shook his head, looked at Yara whose expression had changed, and spoke bluntly:
"I don't ask for much. We just need to cross Red Street, escape to the Blood Bottle Gang's territory, and then we'll take care of ourselves."

Yara paused slightly.

“No one will know you, Yara, you won’t get into trouble! It’s the darkest hour before dawn. Help us get away from the Brotherhood’s spies from the Lower City to Red Street, that shouldn’t be a problem for you.”

Yara looked at Thales, whose face was full of expectation, and her expression darkened slightly:

Why Red Town Street?

Thales' heart skipped a beat; he felt there was hope.

“In other territories, the Brotherhood might notice us as soon as we show up, but Red Street is the border between the Brotherhood's and Blood Bottle's territories. That's our only chance to escape!”

"And the Brotherhood will definitely spend time cleaning up the mess Quaid made in the abandoned house. By the time they realize what's happening, it will be too late to catch up with him across Red Street!"

At that moment, the confident and determined Thales slightly curled his lips.

"call!"

Yara sighed and closed her eyes.

"While the abandoned house attracted everyone's attention, you headed straight for Red Street. Well, that was a plan."

"With my skills and experience, it's not impossible for me to distract the Brotherhood."

When she opened her eyes again, her gaze suddenly became sharp and shrewd, fierce and terrifying.

It's as if I've become a completely different person.

Even Thales rarely saw Yara like this.

"But you think you'll be safe once you're on Blood Bottle's territory? You might fool the Brotherhood for a while, but it won't last."

Yara looked coldly at Thales:
"The Black Street Brotherhood has countless talented individuals with outstanding combat abilities. Even the Blood Bottle Gang, which they oppose, is at a disadvantage. It's only a matter of time before they remember you after discovering Quaid."

"And then what? Where can you go? As long as you're still in Yongxing City, the Black Street Brotherhood will always find you."

"Even if we leave Everstar City, how do you know the Brotherhood's power won't be even more terrifying and unscrupulous than it is in Everstar City?"

Yara's words seemed to strike Thales's weak spot instantly.

Thales swayed, his face pale.

Yes, his plans haven't gone that far yet.

He has limited abilities and limited wisdom.

He had no idea what would happen after Red Town Street.

but……

They had nowhere else to go, didn't they?
They only have one choice.

Only Hongfang Street.

"That's our business," the boy said stubbornly, thinking to himself.

Yara, the shrewd and ruthless knife-wielding Yara who was no longer the lazy and indifferent bartender Yara, shook her head sharply.

"impossible."

Seeing that Yara was still shaking her head, Thales became anxious.

He had already exhausted all his resources to win Yara's help...

He cannot fail.

He caught a glimpse of the children out of the corner of his eye, and his fists clenched even tighter.

No!

This isn't a football manager game!

Can't fail!

Thales raised his head and said with difficulty:

“I know this request is excessive compared to providing food and drink, or even giving me a dagger. But look at those three children over there; their hopes are in this bar! Yara, please help me! And…”

Yara raised her eyebrows.

"and……"

The boy was very reluctant to say what was about to come.

In his view, this was nothing short of blatant coercion and torture.

but……

Thales took a deep breath: There's no other way.

"And you still owe me a favor, don't you!"

Thales said firmly.

"what?"

Yara looked slightly surprised, but then burst out laughing.

The female bartender drew a wolf leg knife from her leg and placed it in front of Thales.

"Favor?"

"You mean, you suggested I change the weapon to this shape, and you thought it was a favor? Okay, that's one thing, but you took too much of a advantage."

Thales looked at the wolf leg knife, and memories of Yara flashed through his mind.

That was a long time ago.

"Yara Yara, I've thought of a way to get you to kill that dog faster!"

"Hey you little brat, how many times have I told you to call me Sister Yara! And that stinky dog ​​Morris is already in your belly. If you want to live, don't go around yelling about it."

"Yara! This is it! Look at this picture!"

"Huh! The shape and curve of this knife... where did it come from? It seems quite interesting." "It's called a 'dog-leg knife'! Believe it or not, it's a weapon from another world!"

"Pah! Lackey! What a terrible name! Even if you're going to use it, at least give it a nicer, more impressive name! And call me Sister Yara! And what's with this 'another world'? Don't go to the Temple of the Underworld to watch plays. The people there are all crazy. Be careful they don't make your little brain go crazy!"

Thales shook his head, trying to banish the memory.

He spoke the following words slowly and firmly, word by word:
"No, it's not because of this favor, it's because... it's because you provoked Quaid to this state, made him lose his mind and go crazy, causing heavy casualties among the beggars, and forcing us to flee."

Thales finished speaking in a heavy tone.

The words fell.

Yara's eyes widened.

The female bartender stared at him in disbelief, her beautiful eyelashes trembling.

"You, how did you..."

Thales was initially a little apprehensive.

But looking at Yara's expression, he finally confirmed his judgment.

"Yes."

Thales nodded, feeling a little heavy-hearted.

"You're the one who hurt Quaid's hand, aren't you? He was cursing and calling out your full name when he did it."

Thanks to his injured hand, Quaid didn't take me down in the first round.

Thales thought heavily.

“I don’t know what happened, but Quaid may have come to Sunset Bar for a drink and offended you. Then he somehow went crazy and lost his mind, rushed into the abandoned house, and killed... killed half of the beggar.”

Of course, there are many other mysteries, such as Rick who never showed up, and the henchmen who disappeared overnight.

Thales' eyes were dark.

"right."

"So, what happened tonight has anything to do with you?"

At that moment, Thales truly saw the trembling in Yara's eyes.

Damn brat.

Yara cursed inwardly.

But the trembling of the wolf leg knife in her hand betrayed her true feelings.

Too clever.

They're just a few dozen beggars...

Yara's heart trembled, but she hardened her heart and tried to convince herself:

I'm a gangster, yes, I'm wicked, I've committed murder, arson, and all sorts of evil deeds, so how could I possibly care about such a small, insignificant thing...

She gripped the wolf leg knife in her hand tighter and tighter.

Yara took a deep breath, her thoughts in disarray.

No.

those people……

Those beggars...

They weren't killed by my own hands, so it has nothing to do with me.

Yara gritted her teeth, her eyes churning with conflicting emotions.

It's all that Rick's fault, that damn accountant.

It has nothing to do with me.

Irrelevant!

but……

Is it irrelevant?
Yara's vision suddenly blurred.

She seemed to see a baby covered in blood, wrapped in an expensive blanket.

In that instant, her heart felt so heavy that she could barely bleed.

“So please help these four remaining beggars,” Thales’ words pulled her from her reverie:

"Because it's you, and you owe us a favor."

Thales felt extremely uncomfortable, but he still forced himself to say those words.

Yara fell silent.

The female bartender closed her eyes tightly and silently shoved the wolf leg knife back into her boot.

Thales was filled with apprehension.

"Of course, if the design of the wolf leg knife counts as a favor... then, then it's fine to give it to them. You can never be too worried about having too much debt to repay."

Thales forced a smile, trying to lighten the tense atmosphere.

Just with little success.

Time seemed to have passed for a very long time.

After a while, Thales couldn't help but clench his fist, scratching his palm until it bled.

The three beggars in the distance began to tremble.

This prolonged silence was almost suffocating.

Finally, in the very end, in the dim and cramped cellar, Yara slowly opened her eyes.

His eyes were indifferent, calm and unwavering.

"Kid."

She gently raised her head.

Thales felt a chill run down his spine.

"You are a very special child."

Yara watched him silently, her expression complex and unreadable:

"Always able to hit the mark on the opponent's vitals."

"Quide probably died the same way—killed by your single blow."

Her tone sounded weak and listless, which made Thales uneasy.

But what the bartender said next made Thales feel as if he had fallen into an ice cave.

"But it's no use..."

Yara spoke slowly and deliberately.

"Even if I were willing to help you, to sacrifice my life to protect you..."

And each of her pauses felt like it was taking Thales's life:
"You can't possibly cross Red Town Street either."

At that moment, Thales froze completely.

"Because tonight, the Black Street Brotherhood is going to attack Red Street and take on the Blood Bottle Gang."

"It's already started."

"Tonight, Red Street will become the most terrifying battlefield in Yongxing City."

Time seemed to spasm for a moment, taking a long time to return to normal.

“You…” Thales came to his senses.

His lips trembled, and he was terrified.

"What did you say?"

Yara sighed.

"So, give up. You know, since Red Street is already a battlefield, no matter how powerful I am, even if I possess the strength of 'Kingdom's Wrath,' I can't possibly carry four wounded children through the clash between two major gangsters."

Yara said sadly.

"impossible."

Thales stared at Yara in shock for several seconds.

He mechanically turned his head and looked again at the three children in the distance who had almost finished their bread.

When Kolia saw him looking over, she waved happily:
Four-year-old girls often forget their pain easily.

however……

however.

Thales turned his head back in a daze.

“Don’t worry,” Sinti said, licking the breadcrumbs off his hands and patting the still-frightened Ryan on the shoulder.

"Thales will lead us to safety."

“Yes, Thales is the smartest,” Coria added happily, holding up half a piece of bread.
"He can do anything!"

Ryan held his severed hand, tears streaming down his face. He endured the pain, but also held onto hope, and nodded.

But on the other side of the cellar, in front of Yara, the boy who embodied the faith and hope of the beggars gasped in despair and buried his face in his hands.

"how so……"

"Why would the Brotherhood attack Red Street today...?"

"Why tonight...?"

"It shouldn't be..."

The boy muttered to himself, trembling.

Yara looked at him silently, as if she wanted to say something but didn't.

"An accident, another accident..."

"We can't go anywhere else..."

“Besides Red Town Street and the Western District afterwards, the Brotherhood has informants everywhere…”

"Unless we head straight to Lower City District 1, from there to the sewers, to the Ghost Path, which is Iron Bat Society territory..."

"No, the Iron Bat Society has long since submitted to the Black Street Brotherhood..."

"Go back to the abandoned house? Destroy Quaid's body and cover it up..."

"Impossible, the other children already knew..."

Thales' face was ashen, his lips were pale, and cold sweat poured down his forehead.

"They'll eventually find us..."

"what to do……"

"How to do!"

Looking at the boy's appearance, Yara felt a pang of pity.

The female bartender shook her head and patted him on the shoulder.

“You can stay with me,” Yara sighed. “I have people I trust who can hide you for at least a month. But in any case, Quaid is dead, and they will definitely come looking for the killer.”

“I can go to the old man,” Yara paused, then said awkwardly.

“The Brotherhood values ​​the old man’s reputation, so you… at least you won’t die.”

Yes.

But it would certainly be worse than death—Thales added in his heart, filled with despair.

“Sometimes,” Yara said, looking at Thales’ dejected state, lamenting that even this intelligent boy had reached a dead end, “we always have to accept our fate.”

Thales' vision suddenly blurred again.

"Qi Ren, alas, she's gone. You, you, you must grieve in moderation... Waaah..."

"I...I'm fine, don't worry...Don't worry, Auntie, I'm fine...really fine."

“I know, Qiren. Hehe, sometimes we have to accept our fate. Now that she's gone, this is an obstacle we all have to overcome, no one is an exception, hehe.”

"Auntie...you...she..."

"I have to accept my fate... Waaah... I have to accept my fate... Waaah..."

Accept fate.

What is my fate?
Did I travel to this world and then get killed?

Am I just supposed to accept it?

ridiculous.

I've read so many books.

So much research has been done.

He wrote so many papers.

How could I accept my fate!
Thales suddenly looked up, startling Yara.

The female bartender was surprised to find that the boy was different.

His eyes were now filled with determination and rage.

"Kid, are you... are you alright?" Yara asked tentatively.

Unbelievably, under the boy's gaze, she felt an urge to look away.

Thales suddenly blurted out, "The Brotherhood will definitely find the killer, won't they?"

Yara narrowed her eyes: "Hmm?"

“They need a killer,” Thales said casually, as if he were talking about something trivial.

"But all it takes is... one murderer."

Yara frowned.

This kid...

Thales looked at the three beggars in the distance.

The boy took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled:
"They'll stay with you."

Yara was genuinely taken aback.

“All three of them stay, and you stay too, to protect them. You have to tell the Brotherhood what Quaid did, and then tell them that you happened to run into these three beggars.”

Thales spoke without any emotion, as if everything before him had lost its color.

“I will coordinate my statements with the three children. I am the one who killed Quaid alone.”

Thales remained expressionless, but he emphasized the word "alone".

"What?" Yara exclaimed in surprise.

But Thales ignored her.

“These three children are nothing more than innocent beggars who have run away. With the influence of Sunset Bar, I believe you can protect them,” Thales said firmly.
“If the Brotherhood asks, just tell them this… tell them to come to me, to find Thiels the Black.”

"They've come looking for the person who killed Quaid..."

"The only murderer."

silence.

Unspeakable silence.

Until Yara raised her incredulous gaze.

"Then what are you going to do? Should I hand you over?"

Thales shook his head.

"I'll walk alone."

For some reason, Yara suddenly realized that the disheveled, thin, and battered boy in front of her had made up his mind.

And no one could stop his determination.

no one.

but……

"Don't be silly, kid."

Yara gritted her teeth and frowned:

"You can't even get out of the lower city."

"The Brotherhood is not just about shady businesses... From beggars to shops, from thugs to street vendors, from vagrants to rural farmers, their informants are everywhere, both hidden and widespread."

"The Brotherhood will bring you back as soon as it's light."

"You'll only regret it then, regretting why you didn't beg me to kill you now."

She couldn't let him go and die like that.

After all, he was just a...

Yara looked at the boy with a complicated expression.

...Little brat.

Thales turned his head, and the deathly stillness in his eyes was frightening.

"Yes."

Thales said coldly.

"I guess I can't escape."

In fact, having spent a year at the Brotherhood's outskirts base and four years in the lower city since he opened his eyes to this world, he was well aware of the Brotherhood's methods and capabilities.

but……

Thales first looked at the three beggars, then looked directly at Yara.

"But they can survive."

His gaze lost its coldness, becoming clear and serene.

"You don't have to suffer the pain left behind by Quaid."

No, Quaid has left them with an unforgettable pain for all eternity.

He said quietly.

But at least...

At least……

Thales clenched his fist.

Yara's expression shifted, and she opened her mouth wide.

"Little devil, you..."

Thales did not answer.

But the next second, the female bartender put her hands on his shoulders, but instead of looking at him, she turned her face to the other side.

"you……"

Thales could feel Yara's hands, those hands known for their stability and precision...

It is trembling slightly.

"You will...you will...you will be..."

Thales's expression darkened.

But when he looked up, his gaze reflected the inextinguishable lights in the distance, like bright fireworks.

The boy's mood suddenly calmed down.

No.

He has another place to go.

The only place.

The boy slowly curled the corners of his mouth into a smile.

But I already knew that, didn't I?
Thinking of this, Thales chuckled.

Fate, oh fate.

She's such a slut.

Is not it.

He looked at the three children who had just finished eating their bread and were now gazing hopefully at them—children who were no longer beggars.

Thales turned his head and looked at Yara with a firm but calm expression.

"It's 4:30. It'll be dawn soon. Tell me everything I need to be careful about."

Thales spoke softly, facing Yara, whose face was gloomy and whose eyes were bloodshot.

"It's time for me to go."

Yara's heart skipped a beat, and she exclaimed:
"Where are you going?"

Where can you go?
Thales paused for a moment, then took a deep breath.

where to?
"of course……"

The next moment, in Yara's sight, the cunning and despicable brat grinned, revealing dimples and a bright, cheerful smile:

"Red Town Street".

Note:

1. Football Manager – a team management game in the "football_manager" series. Players often have this feeling: I have done everything I can, including tactics, psychology, lineup, and public opinion – but no matter how many times I save and restart, I just can't beat the opponent!

Faced with Yara's rejection, Thales felt the same sense of powerlessness.

2. Earthshaker – also known as "Earthshaker" or "Earthshaker," is a playable hero in Dota 2. His ultimate ability is a pure damage skill; the more enemies gathered within a certain range, the higher the damage. Using Earthshaker's ultimate in a large group of enemies can even turn the tide of a seemingly hopeless team fight. Therefore, the timing of Earthshaker's ultimate is crucial. Hesitating too long to maximize damage by cautiously waiting for enemies to gather can lead to missed opportunities in team fights; conversely, using the ultimate too early in a sparsely populated area due to impatience can be a futile waste.

Faced with Yara's rejection, like the calf caught in a dilemma, Thales chose the latter—between hesitation/caution and risk/decisiveness—to opt for the latter.



(End of this chapter)