Konrad Curze

"All right, all right, I won't say another word."

Curze looked at the Adeptus Mechanicus sage before him, whose body was ninety percent mechanical replacements. His gaze was ice-cold.

"Archmagos of the Adeptus Mechanicus, Azil Sikas."

"A child of the local nobility, known for efficiency and utterly devoid of humanity. Am I right?"

"You investigated me?"

"No, I just saw it. If I heard correctly, you were planning to activate the Final Efficiency Protocol, weren't you?"

"For the sake of efficiency, it's necessary. We can simply replace the organic consumables with a fresh batch."

"Bat of Eternal Night, I can see how powerful you are. We can..."

Swoosh!

The Archmagos's head went flying.

"No interrogation?"

"No need. We already know he was guilty of every imaginable crime."

Curze knew the man was stalling for time, so he killed him and got it over with.

Curze went over to the control terminal and knew what mattered with a single glance.

Curze used the Archmagos's head to pass iris authentication and terminated the Final Efficiency Protocol.

Then he opened the Hive City broadcast.

"Gangsters, nobles, oligarchs, Cultists, heretics, Xenos, traitors, and laborers of all the mining hives."

"I am Konrad Curze, the Bat of Eternal Night."

"I am speaking to Quintus Hive City."

"Azil Sikas, Archmagos of the Adeptus Mechanicus, has been executed."

"The relevant violent machines have been shut down using the highest level of authorization."

"Laborer brothers of the lower levels, I call on you to take up your picks, chainsaws, axes, and assembled firearms and rise against your oppressors!"

"During this time, Mining Hive Three will provide all the equipment, weapons, and supplies you need."

"Now, bring judgment upon the vermin of this planet."

Inside Mining Hive Three, in the middle-level laborers' residential district.

Han Mingxuan heard the news too.

"Curze is something else. He pulled off a big job with so few people. That's my boy."

"Hello, Mr. Han."

Mister?

It had really been a long time since anyone had addressed him that way.

"Hello. May I ask who you are?"

"Jago. Jago Sevatarion."

The Prince of Crows, the blade of the Night Lords.

"You're a gangster?"

"Yes, sir."

Sevatar hadn't expected the man he was meeting for the first time to see what he used to do at a glance.

"Are you still a gangster?"

"No, sir. When I started following the boss, we set rules: no joining gangs, no acting like thugs, and live upright lives."

Mm, those were the things he had taught Curze.

"What did you come to see me for?"

"The boss ordered us to protect you."

"What do I need protection for? It's chaos out there. Pick up your weapons and go help!"

"I'll stay here. The others can go help."

Curze's men began to move. They were fast and strong.

That was clearly more than ordinary people could manage.

"Did Curze use something on you?"

"Yes, sir. A gene enhancer the boss made himself."

"Does it have side effects?"

"No, sir."

"You're sure?"

"Yes."

Han Mingxuan nodded. "Good, as long as there are no side effects. By the way, would you mind telling me how many of you there are now?"

"Counting the core brothers and the brothers we've recruited during this time, eight hundred in all."

"Eight hundred?!"

"Please don't worry, Mr. Han. All eight hundred brothers are decent folk who have genuinely repented. The boss personally vetted every one of them."

"And everyone received gene enhancements rendered as harmless as possible. I know it's risky, but..."

"Eight hundred is good! Eight hundred it is. Eight hundred people are enough to turn this place upside down!"

"That's my son! Well done, Curze!"

"As for you... how old are you?"

"Nineteen, Mr. Han."

Sevatar had been Curze's fervent follower in his youth, so the age was just right.

"Call me uncle. 'Mister' sounds too distant."

"All right, Uncle Han."

Phew!

When Sevatar heard Han Mingxuan tell him to call him uncle, he relaxed completely.

This Uncle Han was a little terrifying.

He was even more intimidating than the boss.

It was clearly their first meeting, yet he knew not only what Sevatar used to do, but also that he had undergone gene enhancement.

Add to that an aura just like the boss's, only stronger, and he'd be lying if he said he wasn't nervous.

Fortunately, he had finally passed his uncle's interrogation.

"Sevatar."

"I'm here, Uncle."

"Can you read?"

"I grew up in a gang. I can't read."

"Do you want to learn?"

"Can I?"

"As long as you want to learn, I can teach you."

And so, a bizarre scene unfolded.

Outside, people were fighting to the death, enough brains spilled to fill three bowls. Yet inside the mine, Han Mingxuan was teaching someone who had grown up in a gang to read.

"Have you memorized these five characters?"

"Yes, Uncle."

"Repeat them."

"Benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness."

"Very good. Over the next few days, just make sure you thoroughly understand those five characters. Also, I need to know the population and demographics of Quintus Hive City. Can you do that?"

"I guarantee I'll complete the task, Uncle!"

"Go on, then."

"No. Until the boss comes back, I have to stay here on guard."

Tsk.

Why were these young people all so stubborn?

"All right, all right. Keep watch."

After dealing with the Archmagos, Curze didn't hurry back. He intended to bring the deepest fear to the entire upper level of the Hive City.

Almost on the same day Curze made his announcement, gruesome incidents occurred in the homes of every noble and gang oligarch in the Hive City's upper level.

Every one of them.

The heads of the families were decapitated, their heads placed on tables.

At the same time, a bat symbol was left on each table.

The Bat of Eternal Night had been here.

"A perfect way to intimidate them, Night Haunter."

"I'm not trying to intimidate them. I want to throw them into chaos."

"A greedy snake tries to swallow an elephant. There are plenty of people like that in the upper Hive City."

"Sure enough, battle has helped you grow. That gratifies me."

"Spare me your insults, Xenos."

The words stuck in the Midnight Haunter's throat refused to come out.

He looked at himself as he was now.

Perhaps... he really should pay some attention to his appearance?

Meanwhile, the whole of Quintus Hive City had descended into chaos.

The upper level was busy fighting for power and profit, while the middle level continued to watch and wait.

Riots continued to break out in the lower level.

As for the other Hive Cities, they turned a deaf ear to everything happening in Quintus Hive City.

That was because the nobles of the other Hive Cities were waiting for Quintus Hive City to tear itself apart.

Once it had exhausted itself enough, they would prepare to reap the harvest.

By then, the Hive City would surely be theirs for the taking.

After dealing with the upper level, Curze returned to the mine, where he saw Han Mingxuan sitting safe and sound.

"You're back, Curze."

"Yes, Father, I'm back."

"Did you bring wine?"

"Yes. I brought good wine and good meat."