"Taking down Ethan? Is it possible?...How to do it"

Alan was astonished to hear Hannah's proposition. However, Hannah remained calm and continued driving, uttering just one sentence,

"I'll take you to a place."

After saying this, Hannah accelerated and turned a corner, seemingly leading Alan to a special destination...

Before long, they arrived at Market 6, located at the northern edge of the central district inside the walls.

Market 6 stretched along the city wall for 200 meters. Though it seemed crowded, it was oddly subdued. Unlike other bustling markets, this one dealt in weapons, bodyguard services, pawnshops, and even drugs and smuggling. The people who came here for trade were all fierce and cunning, engaging in the most secretive and illicit transactions.

The atmosphere in the entire market was eerie.

Even Ethan and his men rarely ventured here because villains only dared to prey on the weak. Every merchant here was formidable, armed to the teeth, making it impossible to take advantage of anyone.

Hannah, disguised in a cloak to conceal her identity, led Alan into one of the concealed alleys, eventually arriving at the entrance of an underground basement.

"Knock, knock."

Hannah knocked on the door, and soon someone inside asked in a low voice,

"Who's there?"

"Hannah."

After confirming her identity, the door opened, and Hannah led Alan inside before closing it behind them.

Upon entering, Alan's eyes were greeted by a narrow underground basement crowded with people and brimming with weapons. Some were busy checking and maintaining their weapons, while others monitored screens. The scene resembled something out of a post-apocalyptic movie—a secretive underground base for humanity's last stand.

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Although everyone here was busy, they all greeted Hannah with respect, addressing her as "Princess."

Hannah led Alan to the conference area, where five people were gathered around a table, discussing while looking at a map of Atlanta.

"Everyone, I've brought him here!"

Hannah's introduction interrupted the discussion, and all eyes turned to Alan.

At that moment, everyone fell inexplicably silent, leaving Alan completely puzzled about their intentions...

Until suddenly, a chorus of cheers erupted.

"Well done! I heard you really stood up to Ethan. You were so brave."

"We need you, welcome to join us"

The five people approached Alan, warmly greeting him with enthusiasm. Among them was David, whom Alan had encountered before.

Hannah calmly introduced the five individuals,

"Claire, Heather, Alexander, Bert, David. These five are the squad leaders of five districts, with a total of 70 guards under them."

At this point, Claire interjected,

"Also best friends!"

Everyone burst into laughter, even Hannah couldn't hold back a smile, indicating that they were not only squad leaders but also Hannah's friends.

Alan took note of these five individuals with curiosity—Claire with her reserved demeanor, Heather with her passionate nature, Alexander with his strong and secure presence, Bert with his tall and rational demeanor, and David with his mature and steady demeanor.

"So...you are the alliance against Ethan?"

This was Alan's first question as they all sat down.

Alexander seemed to be the leader among these squad leaders, as he was the first to respond to Alan,

"Yes, we are the remaining guards of Atlanta who refuse to submit to Ethan. However, we haven't had the courage to stand up like you... We are waiting for people like you to join us."

Alan listened awkwardly to the response, scratching his head.

“I'm not that great, I just didn't expect their backers to be so strong... I suffered a lot. Haha..."

Heather enthusiastically patted Alan on the back and exclaimed,

"Why are you so humble?"

Heather's enthusiasm caught Alan off guard, nearly choking him as he weakly replied,

"...it's true... cough..."

David calmly pulled Heather back to prevent her from getting too enthusiastic (or scaring Alan away), while Alexander continued:

"It is valuable for a person to have a sense of justice and the courage to act. We've all gone through what you've been through."

Alexander lifted his shirt, revealing a long scar on his back.

"This is from when I refused to surrender crops to Ethan for my family..."

Not only Alexander but the others also rolled up their sleeves or lifted their shirts, revealing scars one after another.

"This is from when I stood up against Ethan's henchmen bullying civilians and got slashed as a warning..."

"And this... my leg was pierced by Ethan's knife because when I was competing with him for the captaincy, he plotted against me and told me to retreat!"

Although each person casually recounted how they were bullied and scarred by Ethan, Alan felt a sense of empathy as he looked at them. He not only admired them but also realized he wasn't the only one who couldn't turn a blind eye to injustice.

Allen also showed his scarred hands and looked at everyone..

"That's the mark of Ethan's retaliation on me. Looks like I have no reason to be absent from you guys!"