Chapter 208 Book 5 Raider
A gentle breeze stirred the smoke drifting from the collapsed sinkhole, where moments ago an entire town had stood hidden beneath the earth. Now, it was only a memory. The lush green clearing that surrounded the gaping hole bore witness to something strange—neither wholly battle nor rescue, but a moment suspended between fear and revelation.
The people of the former underground town—men, women, mutants, and children with hollow eyes and soiled garments—clustered in uncertain circles, their faces streaked with ash and panic. Mixed among them were the Golden Carp pirates, distinguishable by their rugged armor, odd mutation, and weary vigilance. The two groups, who once shared a tenuous cohabitation, now looked toward the same fate: a ring of armed soldiers from Xian Town encircling them.
