Meanwhile, Nara's robot was trying to open a door when it spotted some slaves inside. "Which one is your mother? She looks like Maria, Beni said."

Nara spoke through the robot's radio, "Hey, you're all free! Which one of you is named Maria?"

The slaves exchanged confused glances. "Huh? Free? Maria?" one of them replied. "Sorry, we don’t want to leave here, and we don’t know who Maria is."

Nara was bewildered. "What?! You don’t want to be free? The door is open! The guards are busy now. This is your chance!"

One slave explained, "Yeah, we know the door isn’t locked. We just don’t want to go out."

Nara exclaimed, "What?! This is ridiculous! So, you choose to be slaves like this?!" Her robot then moved to another room.

Nara wondered aloud, "What’s wrong with these people?"

Maria, entering the building, paused her climb and said, "Well, Nara, sometimes birds in a cage see other flying birds as strange."

She continued, "Don’t worry. Maybe they keep the rebellious slaves on the upper floors. We’re only in the middle. Beni's mother must be up there."

Meanwhile, on the rooftop of the Red Dragon, Blackheart commanded, "Alright, boys. Prepare wave 8... Let everyone know we’ll launch the main attack soon."

One of his men reported, "Boss, our powerline just went down."

Blackheart ordered, "Send some people to check it out."

The man hesitated, "Uh, boss, but we have to use the stairs. It’s 150 floors from the roof to the bottom."

Blackheart grabbed the man’s shirt. "I see the slaves are more obedient than you..."

The man stuttered, "Uhh... alright..."

Maria took the staircase, trying to hide as many men started heading downstairs. Svat suggested, "Looks like we need to find another way."

Maria agreed, "I can’t climb with the grappling hook anymore. The wind is too strong at this height."

Beni asked, "Do they have an emergency ladder in the elevator?"

Maria replied, "I’ll check." She forced the elevator door open and saw Patrick climbing.

Patrick asked, "Huh? You again? Are you one of Blackheart's minions?" He pointed his sword at Maria's neck while still holding onto the elevator cable.

Maria exclaimed, "No! I’m here to free the slaves!"

Patrick smiled. "Ahh, you hate slavery, huh? An enemy of my enemy is my friend. Someone with a beard said that... My name is Patrick."

Maria introduced herself, "Ohh, I’m Maria. Why are you here, Patrick?"

Patrick explained, "I want to chop off Blackheart's head so I don’t have to cook today..."

He continued climbing, "There are many more slaves to save up there, Maria."

Maria followed him, "Huh? Yeah..." She asked, "What about you, Patrick?"

Patrick replied, "Not yet... My men are still downstairs. I might be too fast. Hehe."

At the elevator cable, Patrick commented, "Oh.. you're the first person from the upper world who can stand my smell."

Maria replied, "Yeah? Oh, I don't have a sense of smell."

Patrick chuckled, "Mhmh.. oh, I see. Hehe.."

Maria asked, "Are you a rat?"

Patrick laughed, "Isn't it obvious?"

Maria questioned, "Why do you like attacking people here?"

Patrick answered, "Isn't that natural, Maria? These cursed people need a lesson.."

They reached the top, "Seems like this is the end of the elevator route," Patrick forced the elevator door open and saw the hallway filled with Blackheart's men lined up facing the window.

Patrick exclaimed, "Ohh.. jackpot..." He jumped into the hallway and drew his dual katanas.

One of the men asked, "Who is he?"

Another replied, "It's the rats!"

A third ordered, "Finish him!"

Patrick shouted, "For justice!" He quickly slashed every man at high speed. Blackheart's men tried to shoot him, but he dodged. Some accidentally shot their friends in the chaos.

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

Svat was amazed, "Is he human?"

Maria replied, "Who knows..."

Nara asked, "Hey, what are you guys seeing?!"

Beni urged, "Nara, focus on your robot!"

The last Blackheart man, eyes wide with fear, attempted to flee, but Patrick's swift kick sent him sprawling. With a menacing grin, Patrick placed his dual swords at the man's neck.

"Where is Blackheart?" Patrick demanded, his voice cold as steel. The man, trembling, pointed upwards. "Thank you," Patrick hissed, slicing the man's neck with a swift, merciless stroke.

Maria gasped, "Oh myy///" Her gaze fell upon the bodies littering the floor.

Patrick, with a dark chuckle, asked, "Do you want to see me chop off Blackheart's head, Maria? Hehe. This might be a new chapter in history... Water grave."

At the Red Dragon's peak, a man reported, "Boss, we suddenly can't contact the vanguard that was going to attack the tower below."

Black's voice was laced with irritation, "Huh? What happened? This is already wave 10!!"

Patrick slammed the rooftop door with a resounding crash, "Your time is up, tyrant."

Black, recognizing the intruder, sneered, "You!.. Rick? So, this is your doing?"

Patrick's roar echoed through the air, "MY NAME IS NOT RICK! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!" He charged at Blackheart with the fury of a tempest.

Blackheart mounted his machine gun, and his men opened fire. Patrick, a master of evasion, dodged and weaved, making his way to the vent hood.

Maria peeked out from the door, her voice steady, "That's Blackheart, I'll display the visual on the monitor."

Beni and Nara watched in astonishment as the scene unfolded on the monitor.

Nara exclaimed, "Oh, so that's Patrick. His movements are cool... Like in the movies. He might not be human."

Beni, seizing the moment, suggested, "Maybe we should help Patrick. He has a good chance of defeating Blackheart."

Svat, eyes sharp, noticed, "Ahh, do you see that? There's a ventilation behind Black. Nara's robot and the drone might be able to get through it."

Nara, with a hint of surprise, agreed, "Good idea. Your brain is actually working... for once."

Beni, with a plan forming, added, "Yeah, and I have an even better idea."

Meanwhile, a Blackheart man, exhausted, sighed as he entered the basement, ", "Fuhh... finally. Some air," he gasped, wiping his forehead. "Check the generator, will ya?."

“alright i will check the generator instead” Two other grunts grumbled in agreement and moved towards the shadows. The first man fumbled for a light switch, his fingers brushing against a cold metal lever. He yanked it down.

, illuminating the space and revealing other gang members from various smaller faction with weapons trained on them. behind them a electric box are being hacked

Salad, with a mocking tone, greeted, "Happy birthday." then Gunfire erupted. after finish of blackheart man. gang members led by salad go to elevator

Rats poured up the Red Dragon's elevator cable. "Where'd that crazy one go?" one squeaked.

"Don't stop now!" another squeaked.

The cable suddenly jerked to life as the power returned. "Jump!" a rat shrieked. Most made it to the top, but one plummeted down the shaft, thumping onto the elevator roof.

The gang members inside the elevator heard the thud.

Inside the elevator, the impact startled the occupants. "What was that?"

Salad glanced up. "Something above us."

Rats clung to the elevator ceiling, some scrambling to get a better grip, others sliding down the sides. The added weight and friction caused the elevator to screech to a halt between floors.

"Damn it, we're stuck!" one gang member cursed, jamming his fingers between the doors. Black ooze dripped down from above.

Meanwhile, Panji muttered, "Duh, my head hurts... I need to punch that railgun seller's face later..."

He saw Tharig shouting about something in the distance, "HUH?! WHAT?! I can't hear you!"

Tharig pointed his machine gun in Panji's direction, "HUH! ARE YOU CRAZY, THARIG!" Panji immediately dropped to the ground and activated his cloak. Tharig ran and shot towards Panji, but his target was actually a rat member behind Panji. Tharig kept shooting as he advanced, causing the rat behind Panji to retreat until he hit the building's glass and fell.

Panji exclaimed, "Ohh ohh.. why didn't you say so?"

Tharig was speechless.

Panji yelled, "HUH?! KILL BILL!"

but then the gunfired is suddenly silent at outside at James' tower, Tharig observed, "Seems like they suddenly stopped attacking. But stay alert, boys..."

Panji, seated on the sofa, endured someone checking his ears.

Tharig, with a teasing smirk, asked, "Can you sign language? Hehe. What does this mean?" He flipped Panji off and laughed, "Haha.. this is what happens to greedy people, friend... Ahaha.."

Panji mumbled something under his breath.

Tharig continued, "By the way, nice cloak... Where did you buy it? Oh yeah, I forgot you're deaf... Hehe. Can I take this as compensation for you killing my crew?"

Panji mumbled again, his voice barely audible.

Tharig, with a shrug, said, "Alright... I'll take that as a yes//"

Meanwhile, Beni announced with a grin, "The drone squad has arrived... Hehe. They're drones made to spray pesticides and fertilizers for plants. Are you ready, Svat?"

Svat, ready for action, replied, "Yes, we'll attack from behind and disrupt their vision."

Maria, eager for the fight, asked, "Are you ready, Maria?"

Maria laughed, "Haha.. I'm ready, Svat. Are you ready to teach me fighting techniques?"

Svat, with a nod, said, "Of course, let's do this..."

Nara, not to be left out, interrupted, "Hey, ask me too. Am I ready as well?"

...

Patrick, taunting his enemies, yelled, "Is that all you've got! HUH!... I can do this all day until your bullets run out! Hahahaha"

Black, undeterred, retorted, "And you, are you going to play hide and seek like this until the end of time?" Blackheart hosed down Patrick’s cover with gunfire, the concrete chipping away.

Suddenly, the vent above them erupted, not with air, but with a torrent of green pesticide. It rained down on everyone, choking the air. Blackheart coughed, firing blindly at one of the drones. The shot connected, but the drone's explosion only amplified the spray, coating everyone in a sticky, foul-smelling mist.

Beni, seizing the opportunity, shouted, "Now!"

Nara's robot launched itself at one of Black's men, while Maria charged forward with determination.

Patrick, joining the fray, asked, "Where's your weapon, hehe?"

Maria, with a calm demeanor, explained, "I'm programmed not to use weapons or kill."

Patrick, momentarily surprised, exclaimed, "Huh?!" as he slashed through enemies.

Maria, undaunted, added, "Yes, but with my friends' help, I can do this," she punched her way through the opposition.

Patrick, impressed, said, "Alright, robot, give me a little boost!"

Maria, using the wall as leverage, maria then position herself.

gave Patrick a powerful boost jump. with maria arms power and patrick legs. patrick manage to had a big jump over Blackheart platform. He soared above Blackheart and delivered a devastating kick to his head. They both plummeted from the building, but Patrick caught Blackheart and continued to stab him as they fell.

Patrick's voice thundered, "Remember this! My name is PATRICK!!!!!!!!!!"

Beni, Svat, and Nara watched in awe through the drone's screen, witnessing the epic confrontation.

After the tower war, Blackheart's body was found and burned to ash along with his goons in the central street. Bums and pirate gangs, each sporting their own quirky outfits, stood silently near the fire, marking the start of a new era in the Watery Grave.

Tharig granted Panji access to an implant to fix his ear, and Panji shared snippets of his journey.

"Why are you still here? You’ve got enough to build your little city, right?" Tharig asked.

Panji stayed silent.

"How much money do you have?" Tharig pressed.

"10 billion," Panji replied.

Tharig laughed. "Hah! Now that’s interesting... So, you’re still living modestly. I assume you’ve reached your goal. What happened after I left? What went down after we finally took care of those invaders?"

"After we beat those invaders, you decided to chase extra cash in the east. I went west and met someone named Kassandra. I worked with her for a while and made a ton of money—more than our city needed," Panji explained.

"Let me guess, you fell for that woman?" Tharig teased.

"No... In the jungle, I killed people, smuggled them, tortured them—all for money. I always thought I was doing it for my family. But then something changed..." Panji's voice trailed off.

"And what was that?" Tharig asked.

"I found my purpose. Every day, after finishing a job, I’d look at the numbers and feel satisfied. I was finally doing something for my family. But once they were well-fed and our city thrived, I just... kept doing the horrible things Kassandra told me to do. It wasn’t about the money anymore; I just loved it..." Panji confessed.

Tharig's eyes widened in disbelief. "What? Are you mad? What did she do to you? Did she brainwash you or something?!"

"It's just me, Tharig. I just love violence. I don't care about money; I just like the feeling of adrenaline pumping through me," Panji admitted.

Tharig took a deep puff, shaking his head. "You are... just terrible. What about the girl and the child with you? Do you want them to be dragged into the devil's valley like you?"

"No... I just see myself in her—naive, sadistic, doing things just because it's fun," Panji said.

Tharig scoffed. "Hah! So you think by protecting her, it makes you better? Oh, I understand now... Maybe it's time for you to repent, Panji. Forget all this. Become my lieutenant. You might still see some action, but it won't be as thrilling as what you're doing now."

"Thank you for the offer, friend. I'll think about it," Panji responded.

Tharig laughed heartily. "HA! This isn't an offer, buddy. This is reality. Let's be realistic here. How old are you now? 30? 40? Can you still do all that at 60?"

Tharig continued, "That's the difference between us. As you know, we were both messed up during the war, but I also think about the future. That's why I invested my money in a boat. I want to live longer, buddy. I want to see my daughter give birth to my grandchildren. Maybe it's time for you to forget the past..."

Tharig concluded, "Now get out of my sight, you psychopath. But remember this, friend—if you ever change, the Watery Grave will always welcome you with open arms..."

Panji left, and Tharig's crew asked, "Boss, are you sure about letting him go like that? People like him, who do things for no logical reason, are extremely dangerous."

Tharig replied, "Relax. I still have hope for that bastard..."