Showing Off

Chapter 42: A Display of Strength

For the people at the bottom of Black City, simply filling their stomachs was a luxury. Any expenditure unrelated to food was considered a shameful waste.

However, human nature wouldn't change because of that.

Once they could eat their fill, they would naturally develop further desires.

Iron Fist Abe was no exception.

Alcohol!

Brewed from grain.

It was an absolute luxury in Black City, yet now, jars of it sat on the table for him to drink to his heart's content.

"Awesome!"

Abe slammed a jar onto the table, his face flushed as he roared, "This batch of alcohol is potent!"

"Of course," his second-in-command, Rice, said with a smile, holding a piece of roasted meat. "Little Hender specifically had someone buy this from Vitri City. It's a delicacy there too."

"Boss," one of the men below asked, looking up. "Is it true that Hender's doing well?"

"Hahaha..." Abe laughed heartily at the question, his spirits soaring even higher than from the good alcohol. "That's right."

"He's been taken in by a noble Knight as a teacher. That Knight has no children and is grooming him to be his heir."

"Excellent!" Rice, his second-in-command, cheered loudly. "When Little Hender becomes a Knight someday, we'll have a place to go when we leave Black City."

"Mm."

Abe nodded slowly.

These people were his foundation in Black City now, and they could become his son's support later when they ventured out.

They were his own people, trustworthy.

"Come!"

"Drink up, eat up!"

"Black City may have poor conditions, but as long as we work hard, we can obtain many things that aren't available outside."

"Like Exotic Beast Meat, weapons, armor, and even Magic Seals..."

"Yes."

Abe took a drink. "Brothers, work hard these past few years. Send more Exotic Beast Meat over so my son can be promoted to Knight sooner."

"You'll all be rewarded handsomely then!"

This was also why he had stayed in Black City all along.

For the people at the bottom of Black City, leaving was almost hopeless.

But for people like Iron Fist Abe, leaving Black City wasn't difficult, and staying allowed them to gain considerable benefits.

"Hahaha..." Everyone laughed, and they all chimed in, "We will, we will."

"When we get out, I'm going to find a soft, big bed and sleep for days and nights!"

"Useless! What's so good about a soft, big bed? If you're going to find something soft, it should be a soft woman!"

"Hahaha... If it's a woman, do you think he'd be able to get up after a few days and nights?"

"You underestimate me?"

Laughter and chaos filled the room.

Iron Fist Abe embraced a wine jar, his drunken head lolling back, his consciousness hazy, neither fully asleep nor awake.

Suddenly.

"Thump..."

A dull thud came from outside.

He blinked his eyes with effort, and before he could even register what was happening, he saw over a dozen cold glints shoot in from outside the house.

Several figures followed closely behind, charging into the room and beginning a bloody massacre.

In the blink of an eye, several companions he had known for years, who were like brothers to him, lay in pools of blood.

Even his second-in-command, Rice, was in a precarious situation under the onslaught of several attackers.

Huh?

"How dare you!"

With a roar, Iron Fist Abe slammed his hand on the table and stood up.

***

Aya had come prepared.

Perhaps she wanted to use this opportunity to make Karl see her in a new light; she had brought over ten helpers.

Besides Eve and Dorn from last time, she had also brought a black-haired man.

Plus Xiao Nan.

There were three Knight Squires alone, and in terms of numbers, they were already on par with Iron Fist Abe.

"Attack!"

Aya leaned forward, her eyes icy, and with a flash, she appeared behind a patrolling guard in the manor.

Her wrist flickered, and a dagger shot out, slicing across the guard's throat.

Anyone who had survived in Black City was no pushover, and Aya was no exception. She killed without blinking, as if she were slaughtering a chicken.

"Pfft!"

Blood splattered.

The others also attacked, lunging at their designated targets and quickly dispatching the outer guards.

Eve wielded two short swords, while the black-haired man's weapon was a scimitar. Both of them fought with extreme sharpness.

Hmm...

Watching this scene, Karl pondered.

Compared to the Knights Squires of the Patrol Hall, the people living in Black City fought more ferociously.

Let alone one-on-one.

Even one against two or three, the pampered colleagues in the Patrol Hall would likely not be a match for these people.

In the blink of an eye, a group of people had stormed into the core of the manor. Aya waved her hand, and the people behind her followed.

Immediately after.

A group of people raised their arms, revealing Wrist Darts, crossbows, and other weapons. They cautiously approached the windowpanes and aimed at their targets.

Then, they pulled the triggers.

"Bang!"

"Swish swish..."

"Pfft!"

Instantly.

More than ten sharp arrows pierced the room, accompanied by a series of screams and the sound of bodies falling. Aya and her group then charged into the room.

"Kill!"

"Die!"

"Clang..."

One side was well-rested and prepared, while the other was groggy and caught off guard. The close-quarters combat was one-sided.

Xiao Nan held a wooden shield in his left hand and an axe in his right, roaring as he furiously attacked his opponent.

He possessed natural strength.

In Karl's estimation, Xiao Nan's strength now was probably not weaker than his own, comparable to many who had been Knight Squires for years.

After a charge, three people instantly fell at his feet, drawing most of the attention on the field.

Eve and the black-haired man, without a word, took advantage of the chaos to surround a Knight Squire.

Their coordination was seamless, clearly not achieved overnight. One attacked fiercely from the front, while the other assisted from the side, each blow aimed at a vital point.

With the help of archers and crossbowmen...

"Pfft!"

The scimitar pierced the opponent's chest.

Finished!

However, after the brief chaos, the others on the field had also regained their senses and were roaring as they counterattacked.

The people of Black City were accustomed to killing and fought with extreme ferocity.

Even if struck by several blades, even fatal blows, they would grab their opponent before dying, attempting to take them down with them.

Not a single person chose to flee.

Simply unbelievable!

The people here, if you could call them people, were more like beasts whose ferocity had overtaken their reason.

"How dare you!"

Amidst the roar, Iron Fist Abe swatted away an incoming arrow with a slap and grabbed someone, slamming them fiercely into the ground.

His strength was terrifying; a living person weighing over a hundred pounds was smashed into a pulp.

"Leader!"

Rice, his deputy who was being surrounded, yelled upon seeing this:

"It's Aya!"

Aya?

Iron Fist Abe's eyes flickered with a daze, and he immediately recalled the name that had been frequently appearing in his ears recently.

That little girl?

How dare she?

"You're asking for death!"

With a furious roar, the ground beneath Iron Fist Abe's feet shattered, and he shot out like a cannonball.

His target was Aya, on the periphery of the crowd.

"Get lost!"

Xiao Nan tried to intercept, but he was sent flying along with his shield by a single punch.

As for Eve and the black-haired man, they exchanged a look and abandoned Iron Fist Abe, charging towards his deputy, Rice.

If they killed Rice and then teamed up with the others, even with Iron Fist Abe's strength, victory would be impossible.

As for Aya...

They were only invited to deal with Iron Fist Abe; they hadn't guaranteed Aya wouldn't get hurt.

"Get lost!"

"Stay here!"

Iron Fist Abe charged through everything, enduring several sword strikes as he pursued Aya, who was trying to escape.

His speed was astonishing; in just a few breaths, he burst out of the courtyard and immediately saw Aya stop ahead.

Besides Aya, there was one other person in the area.

"Iron Fist Abe?"

Karl looked at him, then raised his left hand.

Fire Seal!

"Boom!"

A ball of intense flame rushed out.