Midnight Kill

In Mad Hatter Town, death was a common occurrence, happening almost daily.

But Lagron's death was far from normal.

The reason was that no one within a hundred-meter radius heard any distinct gunshot at the time of the incident.

Even more chilling than a gunshot, however, was the fact that the lead bullet had penetrated a wooden wall before hitting Lagron.

Setting aside its power, this suggested the shooter wasn't aiming specifically at Lagron, but rather fired a shot randomly.

And Lagron just happened to be the unluckiest person present.

When the other pirates around Lagron understood the "facts," they broke out in a cold sweat.

Still shaken, they cursed a few times, and after a few minutes, resumed drinking and chatting as if nothing had happened.

One night passed.

At a bar in an alleyway.

Wolf Rat, upon hearing the news, sat at the bar, utterly despondent.

He looked at the expressionless bartender before him and sighed, "Tatam, I'm finished. Before I die, I want you to inherit my fortune, so my hard-earned money doesn't go to waste."

Tatam, a burly figure as imposing as a bear, paused his robotic wiping of a glass. Then, as if nothing had happened, he resumed his task.

Seeing Tatam's lack of reaction, Wolf Rat's eyes darkened. "I'm not joking. That damned Lagron, wanting to die and taking me down with him!"

Tatam continued to silently polish the glass, but his gaze was now fixed on Wolf Rat.

He realized Wolf Rat wasn't joking at all.

"It wasn't an accident?"

Tatam spoke, his voice like a warbler's song, a distinctly girlish tone that clashed jarringly with his bear-like physique.

He was asking about the shot that killed Lagron.

"No."

Wolf Rat was long accustomed to Tatam's incongruous voice.

He lowered his head, staring at the liquor, his tone laced with palpable fear.

"I can guarantee that bullet was aimed at Lagron."

"..."

A flash of horror immediately crossed Tatam's eyes.

Wolf Rat sighed. "Imagine being in a situation where a bullet can target your head at any moment, ready to take your life. Maybe if I walk out that door right now, I'll be shot in the head."

"My condolences."

Tatam replied concisely.

"Sigh."

The more Wolf Rat thought about it, the more desperate he felt.

"The only thing I regret not being able to let go of is the money I haven't had a chance to spend. After deducting storage fees, the remaining amount should be enough to buy a few bottles of good wine. I've thought it over, and I want to leave it to you, Tatam."

"No thanks, it's too little."

Tatam put down the glass, poured himself half a glass of wine, and then raised his glass to Wolf Rat.

"Farewell."

With his well wishes, Tatam drank it down in one gulp.

Wolf Rat nodded and silently finished his own drink.

"The way to overcome fear is to face it. Goodbye, Tatam!"

Putting down his glass, Wolf Rat stood up abruptly, a look of tragic resolve on his face as he headed for the bar's entrance.

He pushed the door open and stepped outside.

A few seconds later.

Bang—

A gunshot suddenly rang out from down the street.

"Holy crap!"

Wolf Rat's voice, a universal expression of shock, clearly echoed back into the bar.

Tatam's eyes narrowed. He glanced at the empty doorway, bowed his head slightly, and offered a silent prayer for Wolf Rat.

A moment later.

Wolf Rat's somewhat frenzied laughter erupted in the alleyway.

"Haha, haha... I'm not dead! I'm not dead! Haha...!"

Inside the bar.

Listening to Wolf Rat's laughter, like a man who had narrowly escaped death, Tatam's eye twitched.

He looked down at his wine glass, then at the fine aged wine beside it.

"What a waste."

Two days passed, and Red's death hadn't caused any ripples; everything was calm.

Maud thought he had hidden his tracks well, unaware that Mad Hatter Town had unreasonable information brokers like Wolf Rat.

Nor did he know that Saul, after taking him as a disciple, had effortlessly resolved one of his hidden dangers.

Otherwise, with Lagron's cautious and troublesome methods, he might have dealt a severe blow from the shadows.

What Maud was even more unaware of was that Wolf Rat, who had been paid to do the job, had been filled with anxiety for two whole days, his suspicion bordering on paranoia.

Unaware of these things, Maud, his mind at ease, began a new round of hunting.

Deep in the night.

Maud was ready to depart.

Before leaving, he briefly checked his gear—two flintlock pistols and a decent dagger.

He had asked for these from Saul.

Before their relationship was established, how to ask Saul for weapons was a monumental challenge.

But once their relationship was set, the problem was instantly solved, becoming the simplest of matters.

After checking his personal weapons, Maud left the weapon shop in the dark, scaling the building like a monkey and crouching as he headed towards the building where his prey was located.

With his Physique enhanced, leaping and climbing were no longer difficult.

Therefore, this time, with newfound confidence, Maud planned to use his dagger to assassinate his chosen prey.

This method would reduce the chance of exposure, and the two flintlock pistols he carried would increase his margin for error.

After some effort, Maud took advantage of the night and successfully infiltrated the building where his prey resided.

Tiptoeing to the door, he could hear snoring coming from the room.

Pausing for a moment, Maud slowly pushed the door open.

Using the dim light, he looked at the bed inside the room.

On a bed not far from the window, in the dim light, "Two more..."

Maud was somewhat surprised and quietly approached the edge of the bed.

A foul odor, mixed with sweat and alcohol, assaulted his senses.

Maud frowned slightly, and as his eyes fully adjusted to the darkness, "..."

Looking at the eye-searing scene, Maud silently drew his dagger. Shifting his gaze away from Gaden, Maud suddenly had an idea.

"Can't let this go to waste."

Maud thought to himself.

Immediately, he aimed at Gaden's back and stabbed twice, then quickly flicked his wrist, gripping the dagger in reverse and slicing directly down Gaden's throat.

These three strikes were swift and brutal, a world apart from when he had stabbed Watt.

Gaden, hit by three knives, suddenly opened his eyes, let out a few wheezing sounds, and then fell silent.

After killing Gaden, Maud reached out with his left hand and grabbed the other muscular man by the neck, while simultaneously stabbing the muscular man's abdomen three times with his right hand.

With a set of actions, the muscular man abruptly woke up and struggled violently.

However, Maud was no longer the same. Using the advantage created by the surprise attack and his own not-insignificant strength, he pinned the muscular man beneath him.

Gaining the upper hand, Maud turned the muscular man's eyes towards the dead Gaden beside him.

"Fancy a chat?"

His cold voice cut through the muscular man's ear like a biting wind.

A few minutes later.

Maud left the building.

The black cover of the Hunter's Notebook now bore two more star points.

Thanks to Thirty-Six Cups of Tea for the 1000 reward, and to Ghost Hand Asking Without Trace and Book Friend 20190918231845317 for their 100 rewards.