Chapter 45: The Most Cowardly Contractor
Inside an abandoned apartment in the old district, at half past twelve noon.
The National Football Team naturally wouldn’t approach the Execution Agency headquarters, and Su Xiao was well aware of this. So after leaving the cemetery, he had Bubu Wang wander the streets near the Execution Agency. As expected, he ‘coincidentally’ encountered the Three Brothers of National Football. The meeting at the abandoned apartment in the old district was a location chosen by the three brothers.
On the second floor of the abandoned apartment, Su Xiao leaned against a concrete pillar. Though he was injured, Reinhardt was already lying in ambush outside the abandoned apartment.
“Brother Bai Ye, that was an accident.”
The voice of the National Football Team’s leader came through as the three brothers emerged from a bedroom without a door.
“Did you find the remains of Hugh Losnanle?”
“We found them, but… the process wasn’t smooth. We ran into some competition.”
“Competition?”
“Yeah, a hybrid of a human and a wraith. That guy turned out to be the leader of the Ghost Ring, but he was terrified of exposing his trail. We exchanged blows for a while, and then he retreated.”
The National Football Team leader gave an awkward chuckle.
“Harold is looking for you. The Execution Agency, the Seventh Division, the Guard Corps, and the Security Forces have all been mobilized. Word has it they even dispatched those people from the Imperial Madhouse.”
“The Imperial Madhouse!”
The National Football Team leader’s expression stiffened. The so-called Imperial Madhouse was originally named the Imperial Ascetic Monastery. It housed mentally unstable awakened individuals who were forbidden from leaving unless absolutely necessary.
“Brother Bai Ye, you’re not here to set us up, are you? What happened to our friendship boat?”
The second brother of the National Football Team spoke urgently. Their situation was dire; if exposed, the Empire would make sure they learned how to spell ‘death.’
“Tell me the specifics of what happened back then. Harold is angry, but he won’t tear Zul City apart just for an ancestral tomb.”
“That’s a relief. As for the situation back then, we…”
The National Football Team leader began detailing the events. When Su Xiao heard about a metal pillar covered in eyeballs, he immediately thought it might be the core of the Eye Chamber.
“That’s everything we know. In exchange, Brother Bai Ye, could you…”
All three brothers grinned, their expressions mischievous.
“My vice-legion commander will likely handle this matter. If you’re exposed, I’ll get the news immediately. Keep an eye on the communication platform. When I post a message recruiting teammates, it means you’ve been found out.”
“Thanks. We three brothers owe you one.”
The National Football Team leader’s tone was serious. The next moment, all three gave Su Xiao a thumbs-up.
“…”
“Hahaha, see you later, Brother Bai Ye.”
As soon as the three brothers left, Su Xiao placed his hand on his sword hilt. His main reason for helping the National Football Team was to prevent them from being caught. If it were revealed that he had provided intelligence, while it wouldn’t lead to a complete fallout with the Empire, he would still lose his authority.
“Elegy, should I interpret this as you ambushing me?”
Su Xiao suddenly spoke. On the other side of the second floor, the healer Elegy, leaning against a concrete pillar, froze. She then removed her white hood.
“How did you find me?”
Elegy—the girl who looked like a saint on the outside but was filled with viscous darkness inside—spoke as she stepped out from behind the concrete pillar and stretched.
As for how Su Xiao discovered Elegy, Bubu Wang was currently squatting nearby. She had appeared in this abandoned apartment right after the National Football Team left, likely using some spatial ability.
“I have no interest in cooperating with you.”
As Su Xiao spoke, he signaled Bubu Wang to notify Reinhardt to prepare for battle.
“I’m not here to cooperate with you. Of course, I don’t want a conflict either. I came mainly to resolve our previous conflict.”
Elegy wore her signature traitorous expression and shrugged helplessly.
Su Xiao remained silent. From start to finish, Elegy gave him a feeling of eeriness and untrustworthiness.
Elegy snapped her fingers. The air beside her twisted, and the surroundings grew cold. A faint figure appeared in midair.
“That’s right. It was me who spent 800,000 Paradise Coins to have you assassinate Councilor Jones back then. Our missions conflicted, and I wanted to resolve it without direct confrontation. But some despicable bastard ruined it.”
“Oh?”
Su Xiao could now confirm that one of the two unknown contractors was Elegy.
“Do you know how I’ve survived until now?”
Elegy lightly leaped onto the stair railing and walked along it as if on a balance beam.
“I’ve always had a weak constitution, no combat talent, and I’m a bit cowardly. But I’m lucky. Right after entering the Paradise, I awakened a very practical talent. Relying on that talent, as long as I play it safe, I can survive at least until the sixth rank. Believe it or not.”
Saying this, Elegy snapped her fingers again. A virtual image appeared in midair, showing a man wearing a metal mask with the Jack of Diamonds symbol on it.
“When I first learned you were in this world, my first thought was to stay far away from a madman like you and find a chance to ‘devour’ weaker contractors. But this time, my luck was bad. My promotion mission directly pitted me against you. So, I thought about how to keep playing it safe. I reluctantly spent 800,000 Paradise Coins to have you assassinate Councilor Jones. That was a branch of a hidden promotion mission. Completing just that one task would let me finish the promotion mission with a high evaluation. I was admitting defeat back then. Why didn’t you believe me?”
Elegy, still walking the balance beam, sighed. Her fair face was full of helplessness.
“I couldn’t keep playing it safe, and admitting defeat didn’t work. Did you have to push me to the brink? So, I ‘moved.’ Who knew there would be another old schemer over there? Sigh, who did I offend?”
Elegy leaped, did a flip in midair, and landed steadily.
“The reason I dared to show up in front of you is mainly because you’re injured. Going to solo a monster like that—your brain really isn’t normal.”
Elegy smiled teasingly at Su Xiao, as if to say, ‘You’re injured, what can you do to me? Come hit me~’
“So, your purpose in coming here is to mock me while I’m injured?”
Su Xiao’s eyes flickered with blue light, and blood energy began to gather around him.
“Hey hey hey, don’t get angry. A fair-skinned, beautiful little girl like me—how can you bear to hurt me? I came here mainly to warn you to watch out for this person. As a fair exchange, let’s call our past grievances settled? How about that? Let me make it clear first—don’t scare me. If I lose control, even I don’t know what might happen. Your terrifying perception, comparable to Katakuri’s, should have sensed it, right? The thing I’ve accumulated inside me is the purest evil. I devour the evil in the hearts of those contractors. Holiness and evil are both power, but I, unlucky as I am, can only get the evil.”
Elegy pressed her hand to her chest, and viscous darkness gradually crawled up her arm.
“Deal?”
There was a hint of anticipation in Elegy’s eyes. Her principle was to be cowardly. Cowardly to the end, play it safe to the end, and she would win. It could be said that among all the contractors in the Wraith World, Elegy had experienced the most worlds. Accumulation also brought strength.
Su Xiao looked at Elegy. This girl not becoming a violator was truly a ‘waste.’