An ambush?!
Lynn's hair stood on end. Without hesitation, he twisted his body to the side.
A dagger swept past his back by the narrowest of margins.
Clang!
Spinning around, Lynn drew his sword and thrust decisively toward his left rear!
Pfft!
As he expected, the blade sank into the attacker's abdomen.
But the assault wasn't over; another man to his right was already swinging an axe down at him!
Lynn raised his right leg in a flash and kicked out with all his strength!
Bang!
A heavy thud rang out, accompanied by a pained scream.
The man was hurled several meters away like a rag doll, crashing to the ground with a sickening force.
His chest was caved in, clearly breathing out far more than he breathed in.
All of this happened in the blink of an eye.
Only now did Lynn have a chance to look over his two attackers.
The one sprawled on the ground was a muscular, bald young man.
The one he had run through with his sword was a middle-aged man with a vicious face.
Before Lynn could question them, another sudden gust of wind came from behind.
He leapt forward, easily evading it.
Boom!
A bear-like man had charged in from behind, smashing straight through the corner of a nearby abandoned shack like a living battering ram!
The man emerged from the debris, brushing dust from his shoulder. His skin carried a dull yellowish sheen, unscathed, and he spoke slowly:
"If I said this was just a misunderstanding, would you believe me?"
Lynn didn't answer. He stared at the strange condition of the man's skin, trying to recall something.
From memory, there was a kind of body modification that could produce such an effect.
The man seemed to notice his curiosity and, without a care, explained:
"I've undergone Bearblood Augmentation. Even though it's incomplete, I still possess a bear's strength and skin tougher than plate armor.
"Allow me to introduce myself, Kersey.
"And this," he said, gesturing to someone now behind him, "is my right-hand man, Wayne."
Lynn turned and saw a plain-faced middle-aged man, except for a clear scar running down the left side of his face.
"I've seen you before…"
After a moment's thought, Lynn remembered that on his fourth trip to buy White Shadow Mushrooms, he had crossed paths with this man.
So they've had their eyes on me for a while…
His gaze shifted back to Kersey, the bear-like man.
True to the supernatural power he claimed, Kersey was a massive figure with thick body hair and a full, wild beard.
Kersey was smiling broadly.
"I truly didn't expect you to be an extraordinary being.
"A shame… If I had known earlier, things wouldn't have turned so ugly."
He had known there was someone behind Brian, so he and his men had lain in wait here only to discover that person was an extraordinary type he hated most: one who specialized in speed…
Unfortunately, he had other matters to attend to shortly, so he'd have to let this one go for now.
After a moment's thought, Kersey pulled out five magic stones.
"Since this has already happened, consider us acquainted through combat.
"Take these five magic stones as an apology."
Lynn recognized them immediately, not lesser magic stones, but primary-grade ones. Each was worth the equivalent of fifty lesser magic stones, five hundred gold dragons.
More than the sum of all the wealth he currently carried!
He didn't reach out to take them. Instead, he asked, "Where's Brian? Did you kill him?"
"That, I can only say, he was too stubborn, refused to tell me anything…
"A pity. If he'd told me you were an extraordinary being, maybe we wouldn't be in this situation now."
A shadow of cold anger flickered in Lynn's eyes.
He knew that even if Brian had told Kersey about his supernatural power, the man wouldn't have lived.
The only difference would have been that Kersey's group would have prepared an even deadlier ambush.
And if that had been the case…
Lynn felt a chill in his gut; he knew all too well about the Bearblood Augmentation.
If it succeeded, the subject would gain power on par with a second-rank apprentice. Not only would their strength be monstrous, but their defense would be terrifying, like wearing iron armor over their entire body.
And White Crow Swordsmanship offered very little in the way of defense. If someone like that got in close, he'd be crippled if not outright killed.
Brian had realized he had no hope of surviving, yet still clung to some faint hope enough to deliberately keep Lynn's identity a secret.
Kersey, oblivious to Lynn's thoughts, idly tossed the magic stones in his hand.
"You may not know this, but White Shadow Mushrooms have always been my business.
"The Emeraldshadow Forest has plenty of them, but most are taken by hunting teams run by city restaurants or merchant houses.
"In this market, you'll see at most sixty or seventy a day and sometimes only thirty or forty, even if you make the rounds of every stall.
"Then you show up, buying eight mushrooms a day for half a month without a word to me. That's a big chunk gone. I thought some fool was trying to poach my trade.
"Turns out it was a misunderstanding.
"Now you've lost a man, I've lost two… and since this all started because of me, I'll throw in another five magic stones to settle it. Fair enough?"
As he spoke, Kersey slowly stepped closer, as if to hand over the stones.
Just a little nearer, and he'd be able to grab Lynn's arm, then this boy would be nothing more than a rag doll to be torn apart under his crushing strength.
But the moment he stepped forward, Lynn calmly took two steps back, keeping a safe distance.
The Bearblood Augmentation had a fatal flaw.
After the transformation, the subject's body weight increased dramatically. Strength going up meant weight going up; that was normal. But with Bearblood, the massive increase came from that steel-like skin.
Because of it, Bearblood augmenteds were among the slowest of all extraordinary types.
And White Crow Swordsmanship specialized in speed and explosive bursts. As long as he kept the right distance, Kersey couldn't touch him.
But at the same time… I probably can't do much to him either, Lynn thought.
He didn't know exactly how effective Kersey's "incomplete" augmentation was, but judging by the way the man had smashed through that shack, killing him with Lynn's current strength would be difficult.
Seeing Lynn's guarded stance, a shadow of irritation flickered in Kersey's eyes, but outwardly, he let out a hearty laugh and even stepped half a pace back.
"If I'm not mistaken, you've also noticed the needs of the 'nobles,' haven't you?"
The so-called "nobles" were what common folk called wizards, believing them to be a higher order of being, no longer the same species as ordinary humans.
Lynn still said nothing. He hadn't yet pieced together the full picture.
Kersey, misreading his silence as tacit agreement, continued:
"I won't lie, I've been in this business a long time.
"Three years ago, I was just a hunter. Then, by chance, I met the steward of a noble who was buying White Shadow Mushrooms in the city.
"I made a killing reselling them.
"That's when I saw the deeper demand, and I went looking for it.
"I found that most nobles only knew of the mushrooms from wizard-owned restaurants.
"They rarely came to the market themselves. Some had never even set foot in the Emeraldshadow Market.
"But sometimes, they wanted a few mushrooms to have their chefs cook at home…
"When that happened, some had contacts, but others had no idea where to buy them. They'd just check the markets they frequented or post purchase requests at places I later learned were job boards.
"And that's when I'd 'happen' to be there, making a modest profit.
"Three years later, it's become my trade.
"Now and then, someone else stumbles onto a demand like I did at first and tries their hand at reselling.
"But most only do it for a day or two, maybe a few days, depending on how long that accidental demand lasts.
"They're not smart enough, not patient enough.
"Many only ever make a single lucky sale. They never see the bigger, ongoing demand.
"Some do see it, but don't have the patience to hunt for the next opportunity.
"But you... You've been buying mushrooms daily for half a month. You've found a new buyer… and discovered the trade."
By now, Lynn understood the whole story.
Kersey, like him, had stumbled onto a demand for White Shadow Mushrooms only earlier.
He'd been sharp enough to see the market behind it, and through actively seeking out buyers, had turned this chance windfall into a steady business over the years.
He probably kept men roaming the northern markets of Emeraldwood City to watch for any signs of mushroom purchase orders.
And Lynn understood what Kersey cared about.
As he'd said, he didn't mind the occasional buyer.
What he minded was someone discovering and threatening the "business" he had monopolized.
Lynn had seen the business opportunity behind it all just as Kersey guessed.
But he hadn't found any further buyers.
Everything was simply because that unknown "noble" had been eating White Shadow Mushrooms for over half a month without growing tired of them.
That, however, had led the man before him to mistake Lynn and Brian for something more than the usual short-term opportunists, a pair who might stay in the trade and compete with him for the long haul.
And so, he'd moved against them.
"But that's not a problem, my friend," Kersey went on.
"If you were just an ordinary man, of course, you wouldn't have the right to meddle in my business.
"But you're different. You're like me, an extraordinary. I'm willing to share this trade with you.
"So, as I said, this is all just a misunderstanding."
With that, he tossed the magic stones lightly toward Lynn.
For now, he'd decided to drop the idea of eliminating him, intending instead to smooth things over.
Clink
Steel flashed as Lynn deftly caught each stone on the flat of his sword. Satisfied they were genuine, he tucked them away.
Free magic stones were not something to refuse.
Kersey's eyes lit up at the sight of Lynn's elegant swordplay. After a pause, he abruptly changed tack:
"My friend, I've grown tired of the mushroom trade. I'm planning to start a gang, expand into new ventures, and make real money.
"With your skills, would you be interested in joining me and earning far more?"
Lynn said nothing, but the refusal was written all over his face.
A flicker of displeasure passed through Kersey's bear-like eyes. Then he let out a low sigh, speaking in a heavier tone:
"Tell me, have you ever thought about this?
"This business I've fought to keep hidden… this trade we nearly killed each other over… in the end, it's all just to satisfy some noble's appetite.
"Our struggle is meaningless."
Lynn smiled faintly, but it vanished in an instant like a watermark evaporating under the noonday sun.
He didn't believe for a moment that Kersey was being magnanimous. The man's smile and words were as false as they came.
Gripping his sword, Lynn spoke evenly, one word at a time:
"Brian is dead, Kersey."
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