The entrance to Shantytown was pitch-black, without a soul in sight.
Renato tightened his grip on his sword hilt, his gaze sweeping over the deserted checkpoint.
The Wolf Gang members stationed here had vanished, leaving only the wooden barricade once used to stop carriages standing alone across the road.
"Something's wrong," Renato said quietly. "It's too quiet."
Perly maintained her Light spell, driving back the surrounding darkness. She followed Renato's gaze deeper into Shantytown, but clouds obscured the moonlight, leaving nothing visible.
The Iron Fist Gang's thugs charged in impatiently. Malik ignored Renato's warning; clearly, he had plans of his own.
"You're too cautious, my friend." Malik waved behind him, urging his men to hurry. "I know the Wolf Gang. Those bastards must've gotten drunk again and passed out in some filthy hole."
"This is a golden opportunity. The Limping Dog tavern is just ahead. All we have to do is rush in and cut off Benjamin's head, and it'll all be over."
If this had been an ordinary gang conflict, Malik might have been right.
The city's gangs had always operated on a winner-takes-all basis. Seizing a rival's territory and absorbing its remaining members was perfectly normal.
People joined gangs simply to put food on the table. They knew better than anyone which way the wind blew, and none of them would stay loyal to an old boss.
But this time, things were nowhere near that simple.
Renato had no time to explain the cult's existence to Malik, nor did he want to invite trouble. Since the Iron Fist Gang refused to follow his lead, splitting up was a viable option.
Ultimately, he had brought these gang members along to draw the cultists' attention and take some pressure off his own group. The Iron Fist Gang volunteering to lead