NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 52: Chapter 52: The Corpse Is Talking?
"Why haven't Black Wolf and the others come back since yesterday?"
"Who knows? Maybe they caught some fat sheep and went to Rigate to have fun?"
The torchlight licked the speaker's face. A deep scar at the corner of his eye lent his disdainful expression a sinister edge.
The tall, round-faced man next to him widened his eyes in a comical way, hastily pushing away the torch from his face and replying seriously,
"It can't be, right? Leopard Boss explicitly ordered that no one should sneak back to Rigate after a hijack. They can't be that stupid. Maybe something unexpected happened?"
The scarred man snorted and switched hands to hold the torch.
"Black Wolf and Gray Rat are both intermediate-level Northern God Style fighters. Even if Earth Scorpion's a little weaker, could they have been ambushed? Use your brain. Or did your brain slip to your lower body with all that height?"
His voice lowered, and he pointed behind him into the darkness.
"Otherwise, why would Boss Leopard look so grim lately? It's been months — everyone's tired of robbing. There's barely any real loot, and that thousand-bounty guy hasn't even been seen. It's pathetic."
"Everyone knows that guy left the Kingdom of Asura long ago. But Leopard Boss won't admit it. He boasted to the other bandit bosses that our base has North-South intelligence links and an airtight network. What a joke!"
The round-faced man quickly covered the other's mouth.
"Keep your voice down! You wanna die? You can't say that kind of thing so casually!"
". . .Let me go! Why not? I've been fed up with that brat Leopard for a while. If it weren't for his Sword God and Water God Styles, who would follow him? He bought that leader position by selling his ass to Night Lion Boss! Bah!"
". . .Sell his ass? In detail."
The scarred man beamed with delight at the topic.
"He's been doing that for ages. Every time he goes back to the capital, he spends a night with the Night Lion Boss. When he comes back, he's walking funny. What's with that twisty waist, huh?"
As he saw the blank look on the round-faced man's face, the scarred man suddenly realized something. That voice earlier—was unfamiliar.
He turned his head in shock.
At some point, a delicate, bespectacled boy had appeared beside him, leaning in with a curious expression.
The three stared at each other in silence.
Seeing the scarred man pause at a critical moment, the boy became anxious.
"No? Why stop now? Keep going! What about the Leopard Boss's waist?"
The scarred man and the round-faced man both snapped to attention, pulling out their blades with a shing, their expressions turning fierce.
"Who are you, kid? New here? Don't you know the rules? You don't eavesdrop on your seniors!"
"Trying to scope out Leopard Boss's waist for yourself?"
The bespectacled boy blinked in confusion and answered politely,
"I'm new. I don't know the rules. Someone told me to come get you. Said some guy named Banbao is mad."
The two froze and looked at each other.
"You listen, kid. If you tell anyone what we just said, you're dead. Got it? I'm an intermediate swordsman. I can cut a runt like you in two with just a few swings. If I find out—"
The boy lowered his head respectfully.
"I know, I know, big brothers~ It's getting late. Let's go!"
He turned and began walking in the direction the scarred man had earlier pointed.
As the scarred man watched the boy's back, the anger vanished from his face. He turned his head toward his companion and gave him a knowing glance. Then he wrapped an arm casually around the boy's shoulders.
The round-faced man silently gripped the hilt of his sword.
The scarred man, watching from the corner of his eye, tightened the friendly hold on the boy as if they were close.
"Hey, little brother, you look unfamiliar. What's your name?"
"My name's Allen. Let's hurry — still an hour's walk ahead."
The scarred man's face darkened.
". . .An hour? We're only half an hour away. Allen? Never heard of you."
His voice trailed off. His pupils suddenly widened.
"Ai...? Ai—"
He tried to pronounce Allen's name again, but his throat had lost its strength. No breath came out to vibrate his vocal cords.
The dark forest swayed before his eyes. The small figure beside him — Allen — didn't even need to break free. He simply walked forward, letting the scarred man's body fall behind him.
The scarred man reached out but grasped nothing. He tried to grab the knife at his waist, but his arm wouldn't move. He couldn't even swing the blade he once took pride in.
Then his vision moved on its own:
The boy's back turned to the ground. The tree trunks spun in moonlight. Leaves floated in the air and "jumped" to the top of his field of view. The ground twisted beneath him. The moon, high above, spun into sight. His round-faced companion's fearful face flashed before him.
Grass brushed against his cheeks. A warm, salty liquid splashed onto the ground in front of him.
The scarred man's head rolled to the ground. In the falling blood, he stared blankly at his headless body before his vision faded to black.
He was dead.
In the midst of the blood rain, Allen pressed down on his blade and turned around. Blood dripped steadily from his swordsman's clothes.
The round-faced man stood frozen, sword in hand, shaking like a leaf.
"Allen! You're Allen! You're from the Water God Style—"
Allen took a step forward casually.
The next moment, he vanished from the man's vision.
The round-faced man's mouth opened wide. He hadn't even finished saying "superior" when he heard soft footsteps behind him, followed by Allen's voice at his ear:
"The corpse is talking."
Startled, the man instinctively tried to turn.
Then he, too, experienced the disorienting sensation of "vision acting without permission."
His balance vanished. Moonlight spun wildly, twisting the forest into white trails of light.
Allen's figure passed through his peripheral vision, still smiling.
"Silent Tachi... Wasn't that a high-level Water God Style move? How..."
Before he could finish the thought, chaos overtook his mind.
With a thud, his head hit the ground.
Allen's footsteps faded into the forest. In the wind, his soft voice could be heard:
"The fifth one."