Tepo followed the frightened gangster. He hid his face behind a hood, canceling his [Minor Stealth] spell to save his force. The spell’s expenditure was considerable, and the young warrior would have to recover it later.
Tepo was carefully moving through shadows, keeping some distance from the gangster. He didn’t want to arouse some guards’ suspicions. After all, it was more than likely that those lowlifes acted under the mayor’s order.
However, this also allowed the gangster some hope. He feared that he might be caught in the crossfire, with his life hanging by a thread.
Thus, the commoner constantly peeked over his shoulder, hoping to find a moment to run for his life. But a terrifying hooded figure would always coldly stare at it from the shadows, like the grim reaper waiting for him to make a single wrong move.
In this threatening situation the gangster soon saw no other option then to lead the deathly figure to his headquarters. Maybe he had a chance to get away before the fight broke out.
Tepo stared at the man’s back with a cold gaze. Noticing the trembling body and pale skin, his rage slowly subsided.
Although I don’t regret killing those b*stards, these guys are in the end just small fries. They are already living lowly lives. Let’s see how the situation develops. If you are obedient, I can let you go. Maybe you manage to turn over a new leave afterwards.
Why do commoners even join such criminal organizations? Is it the wish to participate in the world of warriors? What’s so bad about finding some honest work as a commoner? Just open a restaurant or learn a craft.
Ahh… I guess I shouldn’t judge others’ wishes. The dream of becoming a powerful warrior is deliberately planted in many minds in this society. Many are prepared to go far and cross many lines in order to achieve this dream.
Killing others in this pursuit is seen as the norm. In comparison some gangsters are actually harmless. They only chose the wrong target this time.
Along the way Tepo had much time to ponder over such issues. It helped him sort out his thoughts, gradually letting him adapt to this world.
But after crossing some wind channel, Tepo soon set foot on a small cloud. It was dark, emitting an unpleasant smell.
Tepo calmed his mind, raising his vigilance. The buildings on this cloud were much shabbier. Grey walls and crooked doors revealed their hasty construction.
Groups of shady figures loafed about the road. Warriors were mixed with commoners.
Soon a commotion reached Tepo’s ears. The sound of music, rowdy voices, and people dropping their inhibitions.
The gangster turned into a new street, his chest tight as they neared their target.
As Tepo followed, a different world fell into his eyes. Buildings lined the street, decorated with tacky colors, and advertising with loud sounds. They were gambling dens, bars, and bordels.
Scantly clad women and men did their best to woe wealthy warriors. They dreamed of catching someone’s fancy, marrying, and leaving this terrible life behind.
Not far from Tepo a commotion sounded out. A drunk man was thrown out of a gambling den. As he began cursing a fist landed in his face, knocking him out cold. The surrounding people only laughed loudly before going back to whatever they were doing.
Tepo observed this leisure district with interest. Ironically this was one of the few parts of the Carrying Winds World which existed in his old world in a very similar form.
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But here, a certain lightheartedness could still be felt in the air. In his old life it was all about letting out the desires buried in one’s despairing heart. The fights were more real, with corpses every day, and the mood was more hopeless.
Tepo felt like a bystander as he followed the road in his hood, doing his best to remain inconspicuous. But soon the gangster turned a corner and entered a slightly broad ally.
Stopping, Tepo watched the two men guarding the entrance from a distance. They had arrogant smiles on their faces as no one dared to come near this corner.
The gangster he had been following came to a halt as well. Tepo narrowed his eyes, observing the man as he talked to the guards.
To the warrior’s surprise the guards soon laughed loudly, grouped up with the gangster and left for the leisure district.
Tepo waited for a bit, but no sudden change occurred. Carefully the young man neared the ally. He peeked through, his eyes gazing past the shadowy road and soon finding a large area containing small hills full of trash.
Although this area appeared to be a dump, a group of people had obviously made it their home.
A crude building had been constructed from various materials. It wasn’t too big, but still vaguely overshadowed the leisure district. Tepo could guess that the gangsters had a certain authority here.
Seeing his target, the young man didn’t underestimate the gangsters. He decided to play it safe and first gather some information.
Fortunately, this wasn’t difficult. Tepo soon learned a lot about the Shielding Palm Gang and their leader simply known as ‘The Vicious’.
The young man was confused by this name but soon learned that it came form the fact that this gang pretended to protect the local business, but in reality, they only blackmailed the helpless owners.
Tepo was not surprised. Such an organization probably existed in most cities. But with the influence they held over the leisure district, the warrior was more and more certain that they worked for the mayor.
Let’s see. The Shielding Palm Gang is not small. Eliminating it completely would take too much time and easily expose me.
I should try to kill the leader and the three vice leaders. Then the small goons might disperse anyways, and the mayor’s influence would wane.
Of course this would only be a minor deterrence to Taren, though. He can recreate such a gang in no time. But this will be my first counterattack!
With his mind made up Tepo began to act. He sneaked into the dark alley. Bored guards leaned against the gate towards the dump, almost falling asleep.
It would be easy for Tepo to kill them, but he didn’t know if the leaders might be able to detect his actions.
Thus, the young man activated his [Minor Stealth] for a moment, sneaking past the guards and along the fence.
The fence is in good condition, but its material is nothing special. It can’t stop a warrior.
Analyzing his surroundings carefully, Tepo reached a dark corner. With a smooth movement of his body the warrior easily climber over the fence. Even the spikes on top couldn’t prove any danger.
Light-footed, the young man landed behind a pile of trash. He peeked out, watching the building not far away.
An empty area surrounded the crude building. A few bored guards were positioned on the second floor. They yawned, knowing that no one would dare to invade here, praising themselves for getting such a cushy job.
On a small balcony two other guards looked around suspiciously. Suddenly they pulled out bottles from their shabby armor and took small sips.
Abruptly a dark shadow fell over them. Their faces twitched, as they fearfully turned around. A tall man with short red hair gritted his teeth as he reprimanded them angrily.
Not far away Tepo observed calmly.
Red hair and scars on his arm. This should be one of the vice-leaders. I should keep his position in mind.
After this small commotion, silence returned to the area. Only through a half-open window on the second floor could some scattered voices be heard.
Seems like there isn’t much more to find. The area is well built but the guards are nonchalant. If I use my [Minor Stealth], even if the moon directly shines on me, I’m confident I can still reach the building undetected.
A moment later Tepo acted on his thoughts. He sneaked out of his hiding spot, crossed the empty region, and pressed his body against the wall.
No one detected anything. Tepo felt the cold metal behind his back as he stayed close to a side entrance. He listened carefully, trying to make out some steps or voices.
Since no sound reached his ears, the warrior continued. Still in stealth he opened the door and scurried inside.
Suddenly though his body stiffened. To his left, a sleeping guard sat on a chair, with his eyes flickering as a breeze hit him form the opened door.
Tepo’s eyes narrowed. He positioned himself against the wall, in reach of the guard.
Suddenly the gangster’s eyes opened wide. He stared at the door, a cold shiver running down his spine. His thoughts raced as he felt death staring at him.
Horrified, the man trusted his instincts. He stood up with a pale face and reached out, closing the door. A dry chuckle left his throat:
“Haha. Only the wind, only the wind.”
With those words the man sat down again, pretending to sleep immediately.