After these two uses, Abel realized the Leg Strength Enhancement Shoes' power was sufficient for roughly one use at third gear or three uses at first gear.
He had just used the first-gear enhancement, but after only three kicks, the shoes were completely drained of power.
His original plan had been to take out three of the thugs first, but a miscalculation had led to a minor setback.
'Looks like I need to practice my footwork accuracy more, and I should start training my left leg too,' Abel thought as he charged toward the remaining two men.
When he was still five or six meters away, he spotted a small stone lying quietly on the ground. Abel immediately raised his foot, feigning a kick!
The motion startled the two homeless men. They had witnessed the gruesome fate of their companion and had no desire to become the next victim. They scrambled to cover their heads and darted sideways to evade the attack.
This was exactly the reaction Abel had hoped for!
After the feint, he closed in on one of the men, using his momentum to leap into the air.
Under the man's terrified gaze, Abel's left foot shot forward in a flying kick, striking the target squarely in the abdomen.
Third-gear leg strength!
"Ugh..."
The homeless man clutched his stomach in agony, collapsing to the ground. His mouth gaped open as he began vomiting violently, likely regurgitating even the food he had eaten two days prior.
"If you don't want to end up like them, get lost!"
After landing, Abel shot a death glare at the last homeless man, who immediately turned and fled in terror.
Seeing this, Abel finally breathed a sigh of relief.
His Leg Strength Enhancement Shoes were completely drained of power. If the man hadn't run, Abel would have had to risk using his Banana Grenade.
But using the grenade would inevitably cause a massive commotion and draw unwanted attention, the consequences of which would be entirely beyond his control.
Fortunately, the worst-case scenario had been avoided.
To prevent the fleeing man from returning with reinforcements, Abel immediately hoisted the unconscious Law onto his back and sprinted away.
At some point during their escape, the coarse burlap cloth covering Law's face had fallen off.
As they fled, they passed the long-haired homeless man who had been knocked to the ground earlier. The man glared after them with venomous resentment.
Noticing this, Abel couldn't help but feel a flicker of malice in his eyes.
He knew this wouldn't end easily, but he didn't stop walking.
A while later, the vagrant who had fled earlier returned with several others.
"Worthless trash! You let a kid take you down and even let one escape? You're all useless!"
A bald vagrant with a fierce face immediately began cursing when he saw someone had gotten away.
The others hung their heads, looking miserable and feeling utterly humiliated.
But as they were being berated, the long-haired wanderer, who had finally recovered, suddenly spoke up: "Those two kids are definitely hiding something."
"What's wrong with them? Aren't you embarrassed enough already?!"
The bald vagrant assumed the man was making excuses and sneered at him.
Though his face darkened at the scolding, the long-haired wanderer insisted: "The kid with the hat had those white patches on his face. I suspect they might be... survivors who escaped from Flevance."
"What did you say?!"
The Bald Vagrant was immediately startled by the revelation.
The others wore expressions of shock and fear.
After all, the World Government had deliberately propagated the Amber Lead Syndrome as an incurable and terrifyingly contagious super-disease.
It was precisely this fear that led neighboring countries to unite and annihilate Flevance when its people dared to resist.
So, hearing such a possibility now naturally sparked worry and terror.
"I'm certain of it. I've seen people with that disease before, and their skin looked exactly like that brat's," the Long-Haired Wanderer insisted, his unease growing with each passing thought. Even if he turned out to be wrong, it wouldn't matter—he wanted those two brats dead!
The more severe the claim, the better. He was confident the ambitious Bald Vagrant wouldn't let this opportunity slip through his fingers.
"What do we do, boss? I-I-I... I bumped into that hat-wearing kid earlier. Could I be infected?"
"Get the hell away from me!"
"Boss, we should leave this place immediately. I... I suddenly feel a bit unwell."
"Get lost? You bunch of fools!"
The bald vagrant's face twisted into a grimace, but then, as if struck by a sudden thought, he let out a sinister chuckle.
"Listen up, everyone! Those two brats are definitely... no, they *must* be survivors who escaped from Flevance!"
Seeing the blank, confused looks on the faces of the fools around him, the bald vagrant cursed inwardly as he began to explain.
"This is clearly a premeditated... terrorist attack! Those who fled Flevance are trying to avenge the destruction of their nation by spreading a deadly disease here. And those two brats are part of their scheme!"
"But! We've exposed the Flevance people's plot and discovered these two disease-carrying brats in advance!"
"What do you think the magistrate will reward us with in this situation? Money? Houses? Women? Or... everything we could ever want?!"
"The chance to change our fates is right before us! Are you going to back down now?!"
The Bald Vagrant's words were highly persuasive. The people who had been trembling with fear moments ago now wore expressions of greed and excitement.
Compared to an invisible, intangible infectious disease, the promise of a "bright future" was far more alluring.
Moreover, everyone harbored a gambler's mentality. The disease wasn't said to be 100% contagious; otherwise, the soldiers sent to destroy Flevance would have been the first to fall ill.
Of course, from now on, they would minimize contact with those two brats.
The Bald Vagrant immediately issued orders: "You two, go fetch Captain Jess. If necessary, you can hint at some 'intelligence,' but be careful not to leak anything prematurely."
"Understood."
"Don't worry, boss! We've got this!"
Captain Jess was the local security captain, the highest-ranking official they typically interacted with.
After all, given their lowly status, even if a monumental opportunity were laid before them, they lacked the means to seize it.
Rather than choke on their own greed, they might as well go with the flow and do a favor.
This way, while the big shots feasted on the meat, they could at least lap up the broth.
The Bald Vagrant had to be given credit for his clear-headedness. He knew how to seize opportunities for personal gain without trying to hog all the spoils.
As for the Long-Haired Wanderer, who had orchestrated this whole scheme, he was equally thrilled. Initially, he had only intended to spread the rumor to get rid of the two kids, never imagining it would escalate this far.