The Rat Society’s Intervention

Cold sweat dripped from Lorenzo’s nose.

Even Schultz couldn’t help but curse under his breath.

From the shadows on the rooftop, alongside the dwarfish figure, emerged more than a dozen gaunt silhouettes.

Dressed in black, these figures were remarkably inconspicuous, and their numbers were far fewer than the Crimson Flame Gang elites behind Lorenzo.

Yet, the moment they appeared, everyone in the alley—from the bloodthirsty thugs to the elites who disregarded life and death—instinctively tensed, like cornered beasts sensing a hunter’s trap.

Looking up, the bowstrings in the shadows’ hands were drawn taut by mechanisms, ready to fire at any moment. The sharp, potentially poisoned arrowheads gleamed with a desolate chill under the indifferent moonlight.

There were fifteen military-grade magical repeating crossbows in total, all appearing brand new.

Though few in number, their elevated position was more than enough to turn everyone in the alley into a pincushion within thirty seconds!

“The Rat Society? Sam Jade?”

Lorenzo stared fixedly at the dwarfish figure, trembling with rage. “Are you trying to get involved as well?”

The Rat Society, in contrast to large gangs like the Crimson Flame Gang or the Hyena Gang, held little renown among the common folk of the Lower City.

However, it was an organization that every faction in the Lower City regarded with immense dread. This was because they served as the ‘black hands’ of the noble lords, specializing in the dirty work the nobility preferred not to soil their own hands with.

By all accounts, they should not have casually interfered in such affairs.

Moreover, those magical repeating crossbows…

Lorenzo subtly glanced at his confidant. The confidant, having scanned the serial numbers and bloodstains on the crossbows, nodded silently, his eyes dark.

‘Damn it!’

“Hehe, truthfully, I didn’t want to get involved, but how can one resist something like Ancient Dragon Heartblood? For those of us who only get crumbs from the lords’ tables, it’s far too tempting.”

Sam Jade, barely a meter and twenty centimeters tall, peered out from the shadows, revealing half of his ugly face as he grinned. “It’s late, and I don’t fancy a fight, Mr. Lorenzo. How about you sell me five drops for twenty-five million as well?”

“You’re dreaming!”

Lorenzo was so furious he felt his blood vessels might burst.

‘You buy five drops for twenty-five million. And you also buy five drops for twenty-five million. In the end, I’ll have none left and be down fifty million!’

‘What kind of ultimate fool would I be? I’d become one of Belrand’s urban legends!’

“Is that so? What a pity.”

Sam clicked his tongue, then turned to Schultz. “Then, Mr. Schultz, how about we join forces? We can split the Ancient Dragon Heartblood fifty-fifty after we seize it.”

“This…”

Schultz’s eyes narrowed, clearly tempted.

If he could simply seize it, why would he buy it?

Furthermore, in the current situation, Lorenzo was at a distinct disadvantage. If he were to ally with the Rat Society, success would be all but guaranteed.

“Schultz, do you really dare to trust these insidious, cunning rats? Aren’t you afraid they’ll turn on you afterward, leaving you without even those five drops?”

Lorenzo sneered. He wasn’t worried that these self-serving individuals could truly unite. To make them cooperate, as his confidant had said, was even less likely than Miss Bithers turning over a new leaf.

Indeed, a glint of cold light flashed in Schultz’s eyes as he looked at Sam.

“Mr. Sam, if you wish to join forces, you must show some sincerity.”

“Sincerity? Is my sincerity not enough?”

Sam caressed the repeating crossbow in his hands, much like one would caress a lover’s skin.

“Not immediately shooting you into a pincushion—isn’t that my greatest sincerity?”

“You!”

Schultz clenched his cane, veins throbbing on the back of his hand, his aged face contorted with murderous intent.

‘These damned rats! They truly harbor ill intentions!’

“Sam, do you think you have us cornered?” Lorenzo suddenly asked, his voice cold.

“Hehe, isn’t that obvious?”

Sam sneered, glancing at Lorenzo, then shook the weapon in his hand mockingly. “Or do you believe you can escape my ‘big baby’?”

Lorenzo, however, suddenly grew calm, as if his previous anger and hysteria had been an illusion to outsiders.

He abruptly pulled open the collar of his shirt, revealing a faint blue glow beneath, and sneered, “Looking at this, do you still have the confidence to say that?”

“This is—”

Sam’s pupils constricted, and he exclaimed, “A magic-guided armor?”

Beneath Lorenzo’s clothes, a layer of soft armor clung tightly to his skin. Blue light, symbolizing magical circuits, pulsed across it. Despite being soft armor, it exuded a fierce, aggressive aura akin to swords and blades.

This was Lorenzo’s ultimate reliance, and why, despite the urgency, he had only walked quickly instead of running.

These armors, though seemingly skin-tight, were incredibly heavy and slowed his pace. However, once activated, they could drastically boost his combat power in a short time.

More importantly, they could, to a certain extent, defend against the attacks of those magical repeating crossbows!

“Damn it, how do you have something like that!”

Sam’s face darkened as he realized the predicament. He knew that the moment Lorenzo revealed his magic-guided armor, the advantage of his magical repeating crossbows vanished completely.

If they were to clash directly, he would still hold an advantage due to his elevated position. But there was also the Hyena Gang lurking nearby, watching like a tiger.

Sam felt a touch of relief that he hadn’t chosen to ambush, saving precious magical arrows. Otherwise, this skirmish would have escalated beyond repair.

“Shit.”

“Damn it.”

“Motherfucker.”

And so, in this increasingly eerie atmosphere, the three leaders of the Lower City gangs, drawn together by the Ancient Dragon Heartblood, looked at each other.

The tension remained palpable, swords still drawn.

Yet, no one dared to initiate an attack, instead falling into an incredibly awkward, comical, and ridiculous stalemate.

****

“Three factions? Besides the Crimson Flame Gang, who else?”

From the塔桥 Tower Bridge on the Old Rhine River in the Lower City, Ewan used his binoculars to observe the unfolding situation in the alley, leveraging the expansive high-ground view.

It was difficult to recall the other two factions based on the original book’s brief mention, but Ewan didn’t dwell on it.

Given his status, he didn’t need to concern himself with where these assorted devils had sprung from. He merely needed to confirm their locations and ensure the Ancient Dragon Heartblood was still in their possession.

“Now, it’s time to get down to business.”

Ewan prepared to leave.

However, as he stood up, he noticed a figure in a black robe perched on another tower bridge not far from him. This individual was also observing the distant events through a pair of binoculars, muttering incomprehensible words.

“Fight, hurry up and fight!”

“I even went out of my way to tip you off early. If you don’t fight, how am I supposed to fish in troubled waters?”

“Damn it, you won’t fight, huh?”

“If you won’t fight, don’t blame me for being ruthless!”

The figure angrily threw down their binoculars and stood up.

It seemed only then that the figure noticed Ewan nearby, turning to stare at him for a long moment. Just as Ewan began to feel a prickling sensation on his scalp, thinking he had encountered another queer, the person spoke in a disguised voice, amiably asking, “Friend over there, are you also here to be a mantis stalking a cicada?”