Chapter 177 The Torn Sky
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〖Prison Star Calendar〗
〖Year 187, June 26〗
〖6:03 PM〗
〖Countdown to Confession Death: 23 days〗
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On the outskirts of Sunny Town, outside The Quest Guild, two vagabond-like men were positioned on the roadside, frequently casting glances towards The Quest Guild.
No one paid them any mind, as ragtag individuals were a common sight in this town.
However, in reality, they were not vagabonds but were under the employ of Mayor Gideon, known as Omar and Charles.
These disheveled men were currently keeping a distant watch on The Quest Guild, waiting for their target, a foxkin girl named Emilia, to emerge.
After standing guard for some time without any sight of Emilia, Omar couldn't help but grow restless.
"Charles, this isn't easy, with so many bounty hunters coming and going around here. What capabilities do we have to abduct that foxkin bitch?" Omar murmured.
Charles, having heard this, immediately gave Omar a scornful look.
"Ah, I'm also troubled. Starting a fight here is akin to suicide... Didn't the mayor tell you to bring more people? Why did you come alone?"
"I wanted to, but I couldn't find anyone on such short notice..."
The two men complained to each other, but their conversation circled back to a single point—they were afraid of getting hurt and didn't dare to act.
After a while, Charles proposed an idea.
He thought the two could first ambush near Emilia's home and act after she returned.
Furthermore, Charles had recently acquired a "good thing". He told Omar that as long as they could get Emilia to take a shot, they could take turns to enjoy themselves at least once tonight before taking her to the mayor.
Upon hearing this, Omar understood, revealing a lewd smile, with vegetable leaves still clinging to his large yellow teeth.
However, after only a few seconds, his inner fear took over again.
"It could work... but if we're late reporting back, I'm afraid the mayor will scold us..."
Omar, who had recently suffered a similar setback, with eyes still stinging from a cigarette burn, lamented.
"Look at your spineless demeanor. How about this, I'll take responsibility, but the credit is also mine, deal?"
"Mm... that seems workable, but you can't go back on your word."
"If I renege, I'll eat dung standing on my head! Let's get moving!"
.
At this time, at the western entrance of Sunny Town, a man and a horse had just passed by.
The guarding soldiers had never seen such a peculiar sight.
The man had a large bag on his shoulder, and the horse also carried a large bag. Both were racing to see who could run faster, disappearing from their sight in a flash.
If it weren't for the man being a young man named Banning, whom they were already familiar with, the soldiers would definitely have stopped such a strange individual for an investigation.
.
As the person involved, Tyler didn't want to attract attention either.
However, if he were to load both large bags of materials on Moto-chan, it would be too much for his conscience to bear.
On the other hand, after a significant increase in his attributes, Tyler's carrying capacity had surpassed that of Moto-chan, even his running speed was faster.
Moto-chan, therefore, began to question its value, but being a competitive warhorse, it quickly recovered and decided to sneak out for training when Banning wasn't aware.
To return to the matter at hand, Tyler first deposited two large bags of the Crimson Flame Dragon materials at the equipment shop.
The old craftsman there fainted three times just by looking at the contents.
However, Tyler didn't have the time to explain.
After storing the items, he first said to Moto-chan, "Moto-chan, you're already a mature warhorse. You should go to the stable and check yourself in."
Moto-chan, upon hearing this, nodded its head, and left with a swashbuckling air.
Then, Tyler hastened to The Quest Guild to verify Emilia's safety. Thankfully, she was unharmed, and there was no sign of suspicious individuals around The Quest Guild.
(Even Charles is nowhere to be found... Has that guy been recalled by the mayor?)
Tyler lingered outside The Quest Guild for a while, noticing bounty hunters patrolling in teams. It seemed that the advice he had given to Emilia had been implemented; no wonder Charles had fled, probably for fear of being apprehended.
Since Emilia was safe, Tyler confidently set off for Mayor Gideon's mansion.
Through prior interrogation of the mercenary leader who attempted to kill him, Tyler had learnt of the mayor's murderous intent.
If the mayor was not removed, not only would the survival of The Quest Guild be under threat, but even Emilia and Branch Chief Oleg's lives would be in peril.
At this moment, the streets were filled with the aroma of various dinner dishes, but Tyler had no time for meals.
He ran briskly on the streets, able to leap over the walls with a light jump and take shortcuts, all in an effort to eliminate the mayor at his residence before he could act.
However, just as Tyler was about to reach his destination, the sky, which had grown dark, suddenly brightened.
("...Lightning?")
Tyler instinctively looked up, then froze in place.
The night sky, veiled by dark clouds, was torn apart by a terrifying, massive scar. Black-red lightning danced around this scar, flickering incessantly in the night.
This sight was akin to a titan-sized demon hidden behind the night, now tearing apart its disguise to reveal its true form.
("Is this... a natural phenomenon of the Prison Star world?")
Tyler looked around to find expressions of fear on everyone's faces, not at all resembling reactions to a natural phenomenon.
In their hearts, they were panicking, dreading that this spectacle signaled the invasion of demons.
Therefore, Tyler promptly sought refuge in a vacant room located in the middle layer, peering through the window to continue observing the situation.
In the night sky, the massive scar tore the sky apart like a canvas, forming a rift. Within this rift, strange, mesmerizing lights flickered as if leading to another place.
Several seconds later, a figure draped in enormous dragon wings emerged from the rift, flying straight towards Sunny Town.
Due to the distance, Tyler couldn't discern the figure's true appearance. He quickly brought out his beta binocle to try and get a better look, but still failed to capture the figure's image.
Not long after, the figure had already reached the airspace above Sunny Town, flapping its wide dragon wings as if searching for something.
The defense forces of Sunny Town, at this moment, collectively turned a blind eye and a deaf ear; not to mention standing up to the enemy, not even a shadow of a soldier could be seen.
Simultaneously, people on the streets were fleeing in all directions. Tyler, possessing the "Heart of Fearlessness," was unable to empathize with their experience.
At this point, the horrifying aura emitted by the terrifying figure felt as if the air had been replaced with seawater, oppressively making it difficult to breathe.
However, while he didn't feel fear, Tyler could roughly guess what was happening through his mind-reading.
He realized that his calm mind was a blessing of the "Heart of Fearlessness."
Tyler made a judgment; he chose to stay where he was. If he ran out of the town at such a time, it would make him the most conspicuous target.
Before long, it seemed as if the winged figure had found its target. With a flap of its wings, it had already flown directly above Tyler's head in the blink of an eye!