He Xi slipped his hand into Claw's pocket. His fingertips brushed something cool and hard, with smooth edges and a fine texture.
This was...
He Xi pulled it out without hesitation.
His pupils contracted.
A card?
No, an Adventure Card?
The back was pitch-black. On the front was an image He Xi found both expected and surprising: a scarred, heavily muscled arm, with thick knuckles and fingertips gleaming dark blue-green like metal.
"Boss Claw!"
The people in the tavern finally reacted, grabbing their weapons and rushing into the backyard.
But when they saw the motionless corpse on the ground and the dangerous figures standing beside it, they stopped.
The fierce masks they habitually wore froze on their faces, their feet rooted to the spot.
Their hands trembled around their weapons. Genuine terror shattered their false bravado, and not one of them dared take another step for their so-called boss.
The cloaked man had no interest in such small fry.
His gaze locked onto the black card in He Xi's hand, undisguised greed and urgency in his eyes.
The next instant, his figure blurred. He seemed to become a shadow skimming across the ground toward He Xi.
He Xi had no time to put the card away. He flicked his wand.
Pop! Pop! Pop!
Three Earth Spikes burst from the ground, trying to block the cloaked man's path.
But the shadow drifted past the spikes like a weightless leaf, his dagger darting straight for He Xi's wrist!
Suddenly, a wooden barrel hurtled in from the side.
Without looking back, the cloaked man planted his left foot, twisted, and whipped his right leg into the barrel's center.
Bang! The barrel exploded, filling the air with dust and splinters, but it barely slowed him.
He shot through the flying debris. The cold gleam