Kill but Don't Bury

Luke teleported to Botu Square through the Virtual Teleport Anchor, then traveled across the rooftops to Lighthouse Street.

He found the Assassin Tavern and jumped down.

Evil Eye Tais moved quickly. The Chick Brothers' bodies had already been removed, and the traces of the fight on the ground had been roughly cleaned up.

Professionals really were professionals.

After he knocked on the tavern door a few times, the little window in it opened, revealing Tais's yellow eyes.

Before Luke could say the password, the door opened.

"Miss Clear Sky, you came back so quickly? The Mad Axe Gang Headquarters is a fortress that isn't easy to enter, and Jumu himself is extremely powerful, protected by so many subordinates.

You shouldn't be discouraged if you couldn't find an opportunity to strike.

Come in and have a drink. I can have Billy the Lizardman give you some information on the Mad Axe Gang and Jumu for free."

Luke walked past Tais and flicked a Silver Voucher into the air with his fingers.

"Tais, you talk too much!"

Tais extended a tentacle and swiftly caught the Silver Voucher.

"Thank you for your generosity, Miss Clear Sky. May you have a wonderful night."

The Elf entering the tavern once again drew the attention of every customer. Some couldn't help taking out their pocket watches to check the time.

There hadn't even been enough time to run at full speed to the Mad Axe Gang Headquarters and back.

Billy the Lizardman set a glass of liquor in front of Luke. "Killing the Chick Brothers proved your strength, but Jumu isn't as foolish as they were. Otherwise, the Mad Axe Gang couldn't possibly have built its current power.

I've sorted out all the property found on the Chick Brothers... It's all here."

Billy took a bag from beneath the counter and placed it on the bar.

Then he saw the Elf set a head in front of him.

It was... it was Jumu the Horned Demonkin's head!

Yes, it was Jumu's head. His pair of horns was far too distinctive.

"Y-you really killed Jumu?"

How was that possible?

Making a round trip to the Mad Axe Gang Headquarters in such a short time would already have been impressive, yet she had actually killed Jumu!

Had he been standing at the entrance of the Mad Axe Gang Headquarters, waiting for her to chop off his head?

Jumu's head stirred up the entire tavern.

No one wanted to believe that an Elf could kill Jumu in such a short time, but Jumu's head was sitting right there.

Everyone here was either an assassin or connected to one. They knew how to tell whether a head was real.

He was Jumu.

The Horned Demonkin who had founded the Mad Axe Gang with his own hands.

Luke brushed aside the hair covering his eyes, picked up the drink on the table, took a sip, and unzipped the bag.

Inside were some money, useful tools, and weapons.

With the items in the warehouse gone, these were all things he desperately needed.

Luke closed the bag and said to Billy the Lizardman, "Is this Jumu's head? You should be able to verify it, and you can send people to investigate the Mad Axe Gang Headquarters.

I only care about the bounty."

Billy the Lizardman took out a wooden box from beneath the counter and put Jumu's head inside. However, Jumu's horns were simply too large. Billy adjusted it several times but still couldn't close the box, so he had to store the head like that for now.

Then, looking slightly embarrassed, he said to Luke, "Miss Clear Sky. This is indeed Jumu's head. The fact that you killed Jumu so quickly has left everyone here utterly shocked.

It is an honor for our Cape District Assassin Tavern to receive an assassin as powerful as you.

As for Jumu's bounty... the amount is too large. The tavern doesn't have that much cash on hand right now. If you're willing to wait until tomorrow, you can collect 5,000 Gold Vouchers from me."

In Era Game, rewards were received immediately upon completing a mission.

But this was, after all, somewhat different from the game, and 5,000 Gold Vouchers really was an enormous sum.

Even one Gold Voucher counted as a huge amount of money, equivalent to 5,000 Imperial Marks.

"That works. I can collect the bounty tomorrow." Luke said, "Exchange 2,000 Gold Vouchers for Silver Vouchers, and 100 Gold Vouchers for Imperial Marks."

"No problem, Miss Clear Sky. I'll exchange some of the Gold Vouchers for smaller currency that's easier to spend.

Is there anything else I can do for you?"

Luke took out several Imperial Marks and placed them on the table.

"I'm buying everyone here a drink."

Billy the Lizardman collected the money and said, "Thank you, Miss Clear Sky."

Everyone in the tavern raised their glasses and shouted, "Thank you, Miss Clear Sky! It is an honor to know you."

Luke drained the remaining liquor in his glass, then picked up the bag and headed outside.

"I'll come for the money tomorrow night. Goodbye."

Billy bowed and said, "Goodbye!"

Luke left the Assassin Tavern, then used the Virtual Teleport Anchor to return to the clock tower near Shelley's home.

First, he took out some money and placed it in a corner of the clock tower, pinning it down with a stone.

Then he looked toward the second-floor window of Shelley's home.

It had truly been a wonderful night.

Log out, recharge...

Clear Sky's figure vanished from the clock tower, and Luke, lying in his room, opened his eyes.

The phone within his consciousness entered charging mode.

He felt no discomfort whatsoever from controlling Clear Sky as she ran back and forth through Cape District. In fact, because his actual body had slept, he felt quite refreshed.

Now, the Heart of Red Dragon Nilcolon was in Clear Sky's backpack. He checked the summoning process for Red Dragon Nilcolon...

It required a Burning Fin Whale Oil Lantern.

A 120cm × 120cm sheet of drawing paper made from Alfalfa, paint made from lantern flower nectar and Stone-Slick Powder, and a Formation Painting Brush.

Five crystals, ten Bloodstones, one kilogram of Sulfur, and the corpse of an adult male Red Bat.

These items would not be easy to acquire in Cape District in a short time.

However, the Mystic Shop in Raging Wave City's Central District should have all the materials for summoning Red Dragon Nilcolon in one place.

He had to visit the Assassin Tavern tomorrow to collect the bounty anyway, so he could use the money to go to the Central District.

He would also prepare the materials needed for the Arcane Ritual.

Now, sleep!

Luke went back to snoring soundly, completely unaware of what she had turned all of Cape District into through her killing spree.

A brutal murder case occurred at the dock warehouse in Windbreak Alley. Seventeen people, including Ron, the warehouse boss, were dead.

After receiving the report, the Cape District Security Bureau immediately dispatched Sheriffs to the scene. The seventeen victims were still standing like ice sculptures at the entrance to the storage area.

Witnesses said the killer was a female Elf who called herself Clear Sky.

She claimed Ron had something that belonged to her. After luring Ron outside, she suddenly attacked.

Before the murder scene in Windbreak Alley had even been sealed off, an intrusion incident occurred at the Mad Axe Gang Headquarters.

Information leaked from an insider.

More than a hundred people had died, including Jumu the Horned Demonkin, leader of the Mad Axe Gang, and several core members of the Mad Axe Gang.

The killer was a female Elf capable of creating a large field of ice.

She called herself Clear Sky...

A clear sky!

Another female Elf named Clear Sky, and another ice field.

The killers in the two massacres were the same person.

First the dock warehouse in Windbreak Alley, then the Mad Axe Gang, which held substantial dock interests.

What was her objective?

Furthermore, with Jumu dead and the Mad Axe Gang badly weakened, the interests it left vacant would inevitably spark a scramble among every faction.

Cape District was already chaotic. Starting tomorrow, it would become even more chaotic.

The Sheriffs of the Cape District Security Bureau were getting bigger headaches by the minute.