NOVEL WEB chapter 160
85. The Supreme Art of Black on Black
“Damn, I almost got hit in the ass by an arrow!”
Ariel dodged the arrows shooting at her from behind while weaving through the complex streets of the lower city, trying to shake off her pursuers.
But those rats and thugs, with their eyes glazed over in bloodlust, would not give up no matter how hard Ariel tried to escape.
They were far more familiar with the streets of the lower city, so every time Ariel thought she had lost them, those guys would always catch up from an unexpected shortcut.
“Indeed, having a helper would make things so much easier, wouldn’t it?”
Ariel sighed lightly, feeling a bit annoyed at that reckless guy from earlier.
Though he clearly looked like a noble young master who didn’t belong in the lower city, he could have been useful for drawing attention at a critical moment.
As long as it worked out, sharing a drop or two wouldn’t be a problem. Do I look like the kind of person who would hoard it all?
However, at this point, whether or not she had help didn’t really matter to her anymore.
—
Ariel looked at the metal container in her hand, her eyes bursting with sheer delight.
The Dragon’s Blood, finally in her grasp!
Not a single penny spent!
Is there anything in this world more satisfying than getting something for nothing?
Of course there is!
That is, being able to show off after getting it for free!
Suddenly, Ariel clenched her fist, and a massive sword wrapped in white bandages appeared in her hand. With a casual swing, the “wild dog” rushing from the street to ambush and snatch the Dragon’s Blood let out a wail as she smashed him into the nearby wall.
“Tsk, you think you can play black against black at this level?”
Ariel scoffed, her pride swelling even more.
What is professionalism? This is professionalism!
The timing was perfect.
The scheme was perfect.
The escape route was perfect.
Even the pose for showing off was perfected to the extreme.
With ease, she had taken the Dragon’s Blood that countless others had tried to seize.
Though there was a slight flaw—one less person to draw aggro, and her backside nearly got shot—was there anyone better at black against black than herself?
No!
In all her years, she had never failed at black against black!
Even when she was that insignificant illegitimate daughter, the white bread she ate was all thanks to robbing the baker, a product of black against black!
“Still claiming the Dragon’s Blood is yours?”
At this moment, Ariel recalled that ungrateful guy from earlier and found it even more amusing.
That noble young master, who probably didn’t know where he came from, must be scared stiff by this scene, hiding somewhere trembling!
“Hm?”
Just as she was reveling in her triumph, Ariel suddenly felt a chill rapidly approaching.
With a swift push of her toes against the ground, her figure twisted in mid-air in a manner that completely defied the laws of physics, effortlessly dodging the blade that surged from the darkness.
“You are…”
Looking at the newcomer, Ariel raised an eyebrow slightly:
“You’re the one called Lorenzo, right? You actually caught up to me?”
“Don’t underestimate me, you b*stard!”
Lorenzo’s face twisted in anger as he stepped out from the shadows.
He looked slightly disheveled, his face smeared with blood, yet his posture remained upright, the magical armor on him radiating a deep blue glow, exuding an overwhelming sense of pressure.
Behind him were his panting confidants and the remaining elite members of the Crimson Fire Gang, now reduced to less than half.
“Kid, are you ready to pay the price for your actions?”
Lorenzo tightened his grip on the long knife, the blade still dripping with fresh blood, showcasing a chilling intent to kill.
He had never, ever felt as cornered as he did tonight.
Thus, his murderous intent had never, ever been as intense as it was tonight.
If he didn’t carve the little thief before him into a thousand pieces, he would never be able to quell the hatred in his heart!
“Wow, quite intimidating, but…”
Ariel tilted her head, glancing in another direction, “These guys don’t seem too shabby either.”
From the elongated shadows cast by the indifferent moonlight, the thugs, reeking of blood, emerged one by one. Most were injured, yet like beasts, the more severe their wounds, the more ferocious they became.
Schultz stepped out from among the thugs, no longer possessing that noble elegance. His beloved gilded silver staff had long since vanished, and a half-buried arrow was lodged in his shoulder, yet he seemed utterly oblivious, his aged eyes fixated on Ariel, filled with madness and hatred.
“On drugs, are we?”
Ariel flared her nostrils, catching a different scent from this group.
However, with this nearly mindless mob having found their way here, it was only natural that the other one would not be absent.
On the rooftop, the infamous Rat King poked his head out, first casting a glance at Schultz, a silent sneer on his lips, before turning to Lorenzo and Ariel, saying:
“Lorenzo, at this point, fighting is pointless. After it’s over, a fifty-fifty split, how about it?”
His words effectively excluded the thugs from consideration.
Lorenzo did not respond immediately; instead, he looked up at the rats on the rooftop.
Due to the advantageous position, these rats had suffered the least, appearing to have lost only a few, and most importantly, their crossbows and arrows seemed to be in ample supply.
Lorenzo bit down hard, as if trying to swallow the humiliation of a net loss of fifty million along with his teeth.
Yet he clearly understood the situation, spitting out the words through clenched teeth: “Fine.”
“Ha ha, if you had been this generous earlier, wouldn’t it have been better?” Sam cackled unpleasantly.
A vein throbbed on Lorenzo’s forehead as he struggled to avoid looking at Sam, shifting his gaze to Ariel instead.
He stared at the little thief before him, who couldn’t even distinguish between genders, his expression dark enough to drip water:
“Little thief, have you thought about how you want to die?”
“Oh, do you think you have me cornered?” Ariel replied, somewhat amused.
“Otherwise, what?”
Sam sneered from the side: “Kid, haven’t you realized you’ve been driven into a dead end?”
Ariel silently glanced around, the solid walls enclosing her, and behind her seemed to be the very edge of the city.
Indeed, there was no way to escape.
But Ariel’s smile, hidden in the shadows, grew even more radiant:
“How do you know I didn’t come here on purpose?”
“What?” Lorenzo frowned, a bit uncertain. The events of the night had indeed made him somewhat jumpy; he feared that this little thief might suddenly summon a notorious gang from the lower district with a wave of her hand.
Now that would be amusing.
However, Ariel certainly didn’t possess any gang-summoning magic. She stood on her tiptoes, joyfully spinning around, her hands sweeping through the air:
“Look, this place.”
“So quiet, so remote, so far from the hustle and bustle.”
“Most importantly, it’s… far from that bridge, far from any guard post.”
“Do you understand what I mean?”
Ariel tilted her head, revealing her signature carefree smile:
“Here, I can unleash my full power!”
Ariel’s gaze pierced through the mist, looking towards the distant silhouette of the Tower Bridge, barely visible.
Do you see it, you clueless brat?
The true essence of black-on-black crime is that your fists need to be strong enough!
If you can’t even throw a punch, what’s the point of playing at black-on-black crime?
“Hmph, arrogant little thief, just watch me…”
Lorenzo was about to express his disdain for Ariel’s words when he suddenly heard a sharp whistle, echoing through the night like a ghost.
“Shulzi!”
He turned to glare at the hyenas: “If you don’t even recognize your own mother, can you please stop acting crazy here?”
“No…”
Shulzi, who had lost his sanity to drugs, seemed to awaken at the sound of the whistle, his eyes regaining clarity, filled with deep fear.
“That’s not our hyena gang’s whistle; this is…”