Thanks for Mike and NeoSamurai223 for becoming as a Supporter!
===BREAK===
"What, she crossed the Death Fault?"
"No way!?"
"Her? I don't believe it!"
"Bellum wouldn't lie to us…"
"..."
The moment Bellum said that, it caused an uproar among the bikers.
Every biker in the Outer Ring had heard of the Death Fault. Forget crossing it—there were barely any who even dared to challenge it. And yet that seemingly petite, cute girl in front of them had accomplished something they wouldn't even dream of attempting!?
"Don't you want to meet Lucius? Then follow me!"
Ignoring the bikers completely, Bellum beckoned toward Yiji, then turned around and strode out of the bar without another word.
"Hubby…"
Yiji tugged at Arden's sleeve.
"Let's go. We'll take a look."
Arden left some Dennies on the counter. "Keep the change."
Then, holding Yiji with one hand and Belle with the other, he followed Bellum out of the bar.
...
Outside the bar.
"Big Orangutan, you're actually a pretty decent guy. Want me to introduce you to a girlfriend?"
Arden said cheerfully to Bellum, as if he hadn't just beaten up a roomful of bikers.
What he thought was a random thug encounter had unexpectedly saved him a lot of trouble. Arden quietly decided that even if they fell out later, he'd spare this guy's life.
"A girlfriend?"
Bellum was clearly tempted, but in the end he suppressed his primal urges. "We'll talk about that later. Let's handle business first… And my name is Bellum, not 'Big Orangutan'!"
"Bellum… that's a bit of a mouthful. I still think Big Orangutan suits you better."
"..."
Belle's comment made Bellum's mouth twitch, but he endured it.
"Before meeting Lucius, help me complete a commission first. At least prove yourselves."
The commission Bellum mentioned required entering a Hollow.
Of course, for Arden, Yiji, and Belle—three Hollow experts—this was nothing.
Bellum led the way. After a bout of high-speed riding, they arrived at a Hollow entrance.
"Here—put these on!"
Bellum handed out anti-corrosion gear to the three of them: the round helmets and protective jackets commonly used by Hollow Raiders.
"..."
Holding the gear, Yiji and Belle hesitated and looked toward Arden.
"Put them on. When in Rome, do as the Romans do."
The three of them didn't actually need protective gear to enter Hollows. Even if they did, Arden's talismans were far more reliable and comfortable than this cheap junk.
But wearing casual city clothes among a group of raiders would make them stand out too much—not ideal for infiltration.
"Okay!"
"Got it."
Though reluctant, Yiji and Belle put the gear on.
Arden did the same.
Soon, the three of them blended seamlessly into the raider crowd.
…
Following Bellum into the Hollow, they took a winding route and eventually reached an open area.
At the center stood a metal pole.
Bellum immediately ordered his men to pull it out, then used a grinder to erase the product serial number.
"Hey!"
While grinding away, Arden felt someone poke him.
"What is it?"
He turned around and saw Belle.
"Daoist Xu," Belle glanced around first. Seeing that no one but Yiji was paying attention, she lowered her voice. "Don't you think this metal pole looks… familiar?"
"Hm…"
Arden examined the pole more carefully.
"…"
Then he fell silent.
This was a Hollow data-collection device. And not just any—it was from the shipment that arrived today. Judging by the model, it was exactly the same kind that the Sons of Calydon were using, the ones Caesar and Wise had gone to deploy.
So basically—Wise and Caesar set up the data collectors, and then their own people came and pulled them out!?
"Bastards! What do you think you're doing!?"
Just then, an angry shout rang out from nearby.
Arden looked up to see Lucy and Lighter storming over.
"What are we doing? We're just scavenging in the Hollow—taking stuff nobody wants. Any problem with that?"
One of Bellum's men replied with a grin, clearly not taking Lucy and Lighter seriously.
And that so-called "stuff nobody wants" was equipment that Lucy had paid a fortune for.
"Bullshit! Those are the Sons of Calydon's assets!"
Lucy was so angry her cap tilted crookedly. She glared at the shameless thugs.
The three little pig companions at her side were already itching to move.
"Hmph! Says who? I could say New Eridu belongs to me."
"We have the purchase invoices right here. You can check the serial numbers."
Lucy pulled out the proof of purchase, making a final attempt at a peaceful solution—though she didn't really expect it to work.
"Hahaha, unfortunately for you, there are no serial numbers on this equipment."
The serial numbers had long since been ground off. And yes—Arden had contributed to that.
"You—Lighter, teach them a lesson!"
Lucy's expression hardened. The other side was clearly prepared.
If they'd just wanted the data collectors, they wouldn't have brought salvaging tools with them. That meant their real target was the Sons of Calydon.
At that point, there was no reason to waste words.
"Leave it to me."
Lighter pushed his glasses up, ready to move.
As the underground boxing champion and "Undefeated Champion," his role in the Sons of Calydon was simple: muscle.
"Wait!"
Lucy suddenly stopped him. "Those three… don't they look familiar?"
She lifted her spiked club and pointed at three figures trying to sneak away.
Arden might blend in with raiders, but Yiji and Belle were both petite. Even in full gear, they stood out among the crowd.
"Heh."
"Lucy. Lighter."
"Long time no see."
Realizing they'd been recognized, Arden, Yiji, and Belle removed their helmets and greeted them awkwardly.
"…"
In an instant, Lucy felt completely unwell, her mind filled with the words: There's a traitor among us.
Did we misunderstand something somewhere?
"Brother… how did you…?"
Lighter, too, began questioning his life choices.
In the very next moment, it was Bellum and his men who started questioning theirs.
"Celestial Talisman Arts…"
Bellum felt a sharp pain in the back of his head—and then everything went black.
…
"What exactly is going on here?"
Lucy stared at the raiders sprawled all over the ground, all knocked out by Arden in a single move, her face full of question marks.
"Simple. Infiltrating the enemy."
Arden briefly explained his plan.
A moment later—
"Sorry… it seems we messed up your plan."
Lucy said apologetically.
"It's fine. I'm a master of Yunkui Summit—my Daoist arts are profound."
Arden subconsciously tried to pat Lucy's head, but the sharp tip of her cap blocked him, so he gave up.
The reason he'd knocked Bellum and the others out instead of killing them was to use Daoist techniques and drugs to tamper with their memories—so he could continue his infiltration plan.
Lucy and Lighter then watched as Arden fed the unconscious raiders some unknown concoction. One talisman after another floated before them, emitting a hazy glow, while Arden implanted the memories he wanted.
"You encountered Lucy and Lighter of the Sons of Calydon… You were completely outmatched, beaten badly… Only thanks to the desperate protection of the newcomers did you barely escape…"
"All done."
Arden made an OK gesture.
"So… that's enough?"
Lucy's eyes widened in disbelief. She had never imagined such miraculous techniques existed.
Good thing Daoist Xu is a good person. If he used this on the wrong path… Wait, could his four wives have all come from this?
No, impossible!
She glanced at Yiji, then at Belle, shook her head, and tossed the unreliable thought away.
"Are you okay?"
Noticing Lucy's odd reaction, Arden asked with concern.
"I—I'm fine!"
Lucy grabbed Lighter and prepared to leave. "You all be careful. We should head back."
"Mm."
===BREAK===
Like the story and want more chapters?
Join and support me by joining my Patreon!
[email protected]/SiRoasa