The inside of the Split-Tooth Bar was even more chaotic and deranged than its exterior. Deafening "music," a mixture of grinding metal and the roars of unknown creatures, threatened to blow the skull ceiling clean off. The air reeked of alcohol, sweat, blood, and the cloying sweetness of some burning hallucinogen. In the dim light, only the lamps flickering on the bar and tables, fueled by the fat of unidentified creatures, provided illumination. They cast the silhouettes of grotesque, vicious-looking patrons onto walls covered in scratches and stains, like a horde of dancing demons.
Lin Ye and his companions pushed open the doors made of ribs and stepped into the noisy mire. At once, at least a dozen gazes swept toward them from every corner, some blatant, others sly and sinister, like hungry wolves sizing up prey.
Lin Ye's [Dimensional Energy Perception] worked like a precision radar, instantly locking onto the four most threatening groups watching them:
One was near the bar: several burly men in Tentacle Consortium uniforms who pretended to drink while repeatedly glancing toward the entrance.
Another lurked in the shadows of a corner: several hooded figures with chilling auras, seemingly merged with the darkness. Their energy fluctuations carried a faint, familiar sense of... nothingness, similar to the earlier Shadow Squad, but much weaker.
A third occupied a booth on the second floor: several lavishly dressed aliens wearing insect insignia, apparently enjoying themselves, yet watching with sharp eyes.
The last came from behind the bar, where an exceptionally tall, powerfully built bartender with rough, rocklike skin and four eyes was wiping a glass-Old Kug himself! His seemingly casual glance carried scrutiny and... a trace of barely perceptible wariness.
"This is worse than we expected," Gamora whispered, her hand already resting on the hilt at her waist.
"Damn,