Only Came for a Smoke, Almost Forgot to Smoke You!

"The Underhive, truly a place where hidden talents abound."

Leaving Tark, Alvin rubbed his temples, a bitter smile on his face. "Jackal Tark, that guy is just too dangerous. I should try to avoid him as much as possible from now on."

Jackal Tark was definitely not as simple as he appeared.

Not only could he obtain Mid-hive resident permits, but he could even procure weapons and equipment. This guy's background was simply unfathomable!

Thinking deeper, not only did this guy know "Gold," but his words also vaguely hinted that he knew Upper-hive nobles used gold to make ornaments.

This point alone was enough to convince Alvin.

"Jackal" Tark was definitely not like the rumors claimed, exiled to the Underhive for offending Mid-hive nobles.

What Mid-hive noble could exile someone who seemed to have connections with Upper-hive nobles to the Underhive?

Unless, it was from a top-tier Upper-hive noble.

Could Tark be a bodyguard for some top-tier Upper-hive noble, exiled to the Underhive after making a mistake?

This possibility held some weight.

However, all of this was pure speculation, without a shred of evidence.

What truly made Alvin feel troubled was the extreme sense of danger he felt from Tark!

His five senses, amplified by his psychic abilities, and even his sixth sense, made him feel like he had thorns on his back when facing Tark.

It was as if a knife was pressed against his throat, the sharp and cold sensation as if his life could be taken at any moment!

He had to remember, he was a legitimate "A-class" Psychic!

Even across the entire Empire, he wasn't considered a formidable figure, but in the Underhive, besides the cult Psychics, Tark was the only other person who made him feel such terror.

"What is this guy's background?"

Even racking his brain, Alvin couldn't figure out why Jackal Tark would appear in the Underhive.

Fortunately, Tark seemed to have no ill intentions towards him for the time being, which was something to be thankful for.

And this encounter wasn't entirely a disadvantage; at least it made Alvin realize that his disguise was as naive as a child's in some people's eyes!

Putting on clothes, wearing a mask, and lowering his voice, was that considered a disguise?

No, it might fool idiots, but to true "experts," it was just showing off in front of the wrong audience.

"I must find time to learn the art of disguise in the future!"

Alvin secretly made up his mind. It was okay to be unskilled, as long as he was willing to learn, right?

After all, the art of disguise would definitely be used frequently in the future.

Having resolved the biggest problem at hand, Alvin's heavy heart felt much lighter.

He glanced down at the "Navigator System" on his wrist. The status column still displayed: "Searching for accessible Anchor Worlds."

"It seems I can't travel between worlds consecutively."

Alvin shook his head helplessly. He had originally planned to use the three days Tark had prepared to go to the next world and gather some "capital."

But now, it seemed he was overthinking things. The "Navigator System" needed to search for accessible "Anchor Worlds" after each traversal, and he didn't know how long that would take.

If it were a fixed "Anchor World," there probably wouldn't be so many restrictions.

It was a shame he only stayed in the Black Robe world for a short time; otherwise, obtaining "1000 Source Power" wouldn't have been a problem.

Actually, he had opportunities, like directly killing "Hughie" or "Butcher," the two protagonists. Accumulating 1000 Source Power should have been enough.

But when it came down to it, Alvin rejected the idea.

He could be a scumbag, but he couldn't be a scumbag without any bottom line, and that was important.

"Hey, I'm telling you, just now, something big broke out!"

"Something big? What is it?"

Suddenly, the conversation between two people by the roadside made Alvin stop in his tracks.

Although the two had intentionally lowered their voices, Alvin, with his amplified senses, could clearly hear what they were saying.

"The Blood Axe Gang in the East District was wiped out by the Iron Hammer Gang!"

"Holy crap, is that true?"

"Nonsense, of course it's true! I saw it with my own eyes, how could it be fake?"

"You?"

"Don't you believe me? I just came back from the East District, the Blood Axe Gang's camp. Oh man, it was brutal, blood everywhere!"

"Weren't the Blood Axe Gang pretty strong? They were fighting back and forth with the Iron Hammer Gang just a few days ago, how were they suddenly wiped out?"

"Who knows, anyway, don't go to the East District recently, it's not safe there."

Alvin heard the private conversation of the two word for word.

The Blood Axe Gang was wiped out?!

This news caused his previously calmed anxiety to reignite like dead embers.

"Damn, is the Blood Axe Gang really that weak? Wiped out so quickly?" Alvin was shocked, and simultaneously horrified, "With such a big move from the Cult, aren't they afraid of being discovered by the Enforcers?"

But after thinking about it, it seemed logical.

The Iron Hammer Gang had close ties with the Cult, and with the "Psychic" helping that day, wiping out a small gang was as easy as flipping a hand.

Moreover, the chances of the Enforcers paying attention to the destruction of a mere Underhive gang were about the same as winning the lottery.

The Enforcers protected the Commoners of the Mid-hive and the nobles and elites of the Upper-hive. As for the Underhive?

What a bunch of trash, a group of bottom-tier scum. Unless too many of them died, the Enforcers wouldn't care at all!

"I can't go back, at least not for now!"

Alvin immediately changed direction, turning towards the South District, currently outside the Iron Hammer Gang's sphere of influence.

He had two reasons for doing this.

First, he wasn't sure if the Cult's Psychic had clearly seen his face that day.

Second, judging by the hundreds of Scavengers massacred in the East District, the Cult had already begun preparing for a "sacrifice" ritual. Going back now would be like a lamb walking into a tiger's den.

Having made up his mind, Alvin tugged at his hood, trying his best not to attract attention.

The Bone Gang, currently controlling the South District, was one of the top powers in the entire Underhive, no less influential than the Crusader Gang back then. It would likely not be an easy task for the Iron Hammer Gang, even with the Cult's secret assistance, to eliminate the "Bone Gang" in a short period.

Although the Underhive didn't have clearly defined "districts," traveling from one gang's territory to another required paying a "protection fee."

Several members of the "Bone Gang" stood guard by a dilapidated, abandoned pipeline.

Under normal circumstances, few Scavengers chose to travel to other areas because no matter where they went, the gangs' exploitation was the same.

"Halt, you, what are you doing?"

A taller man with pale gray skin, wearing a Gas Mask, raised his gun a few inches, aiming at the poorly dressed Alvin.

"I, I'm a Scavenger from the East District, heading to the South District, sir."

Alvin deliberately acted fearful, fumbling in his pocket with a dirty hand and pulling out a tube of Nutrient Solution. "This, this is the toll fee. I know the rules~"

The man glanced at it before lowering his gun, snatching the Nutrient Solution from Alvin's hand. He sneered, "Not enough. The price just went up. It's 30 Krone!"

What bullshit! You're just arbitrarily raising the price!

Alvin's face, hidden under his hood, flashed with brutality, but he quickly suppressed it.

No, I can't start a conflict here!

There were surveillance devices nearby. If he killed these two bastards, the Bone Gang would definitely investigate him, which would go against Alvin's plan to keep a low profile and stall for time.

He pretended to beg, his tone subservient. "Sir, this is all I have. Please let me pass. I promise I'll pay you back next time, okay?"

"Go to hell! If you don't have money, get lost!"

Unexpectedly, the man's face contorted with brutality as he kicked towards Alvin's face.

Alvin moved with extreme speed, dodging the kick. However, this action directly enraged the other party.

The man stumbled, almost doing a split, and was mocked by his companion behind him. "Hahaha, Tiva, did you use up all your strength on a woman last night?"

"Damn it, who told you to dodge?!"

Tiva, furious and embarrassed, aimed his gun directly at Alvin and roared, "A trash scavenger dares to mess with me? You must be tired of living!"

"Why can't you just let me pass?"

Alvin pulled a cheap cigarette from his pocket, put it in his mouth, lit it, and took a drag. He glanced sideways at the two men. "How about we make a deal? Let me pass, and we'll pretend this never happened, what do you say?"

Tiva felt his authority challenged, his face growing more ferocious, veins bulging on his forehead. "You trash scavenger, if I don't kill you today, my name isn't Tiva!"

Alvin exhaled a smoke ring. "Yeah, I was so focused on smoking, I almost forgot about smoking you."

Psychic, activate!