As a member of the Silver Hook Gang in Bahamut Town, Carl felt more lost than ever.
His daily life had originally consisted of collecting protection money from merchants within the gang's territory under his boss's orders, occasionally being egged on by his companions to tease girls by the roadside.
But like every other member who had joined the Silver Hook Gang, Carl had once fantasized that one day, his exceptional fighting ability would earn his boss's favor, allowing him to become a minor gang leader and begin a new life of power and influence.
He had thought his days would continue like that forever, until the night before yesterday, when he went to the Silver Hook Gang as usual and was shocked to discover that their hideout had somehow been surrounded by a group of terrifying Imperial soldiers.
The gang leaders who had once been so glorious, who could make every merchant smile obsequiously at the sight of them, were now crouching in corners with their hands over their heads, stripped of all dignity like lambs awaiting slaughter.
And the boss Carl had regarded as his life's goal—the man who killed without hesitation, who even made the captain of the town guard politely offer him a cigarette—
For some reason, his body was covered in horrifying bloody holes. He lay on the ground like a dead dog, blood constantly spurting from his mouth.
Under Carl's terrified gaze, the man's chest rose and fell slightly a few times before he completely became a cold corpse.
Carl was terrified by the sight. At that moment, every thought in his mind went blank.
Especially when one of the Imperial soldiers—a disheveled man who looked extraordinarily imposing—instinctively turned his gaze toward the fence where Carl was hiding, Carl nearly lost his soul on