"You're fucking sure that's your name?"
"Yeah! I really am called Big Bro Zeig."
Shing—!!
Three or four white blades instantly pressed against his neck.
"Kid, I advise you to watch your words carefully!" An old man from behind, holding an iron sword, spoke sharply.
A certain someone immediately raised both hands. Even the iron rod clattered to the ground with a clang.
He broke out in a cold sweat from fright and panicked:
"Th-then… if you guys think this name's inconvenient, you can call me something else!"
"Hmph, this kid's been running his mouth nonstop—I say he's a spy!" Another member cursed.
"…"
The gray-haired, golden-eyed man raised his hands high again and shouted:
"No, bros! I'm really not a spy—I'm a good citizen! I seriously want to wipe out those bastards up top—you gotta believe me!"
"Believe you? Where's the proof?!"
"It's hard for us to trust someone like you."
"Hey, wait." Brother Dao raised a hand, cutting off the crowd's words.
He looked at Zeig gravely:
"Figuring out if he's really a spy is actually pretty simple."
"Kid, have you ever killed anyone?"
"?"
"I'm asking—have you killed anyone?"
"…"
A certain someone's eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at Brother Dao, his voice trembling:
"N… no, I haven't!"
"Good—now you will!"
Brother Dao patted Zeig on the shoulder and sneered:
"Normally, the rule for joining us is everyone swallows a poison pill. But for you, we're adding an extra one!"
"??? Poison?!"
"Hmph, yes—poison!"
Brother Dao laughed as he pulled a small vial from his pocket.
He removed the red cloth-wrapped stopper and took out a small black pill, holding it in front of a certain someone.
"See this? This is one made by Doctor Natasha. Take it, and you'll die within a year!"
"Natasha?!"
A certain someone's eyes bulged wide.
Holy crap—Natasha joined them too?
No way.
If she really joined, what would her reason for turning against society even be?
Right now, March 7th and Dan Heng had both been sent back to the space station. Only a certain someone had disguised himself and sneaked back into Belobog alone.
No one knew about this—not even his two teammates.
But if even Natasha had joined these people, then Wildfire…
"Hmph, you dare take it?"
Brother Dao pinched the mysterious little pill and held it to Zeig's mouth:
"Swallow this, and no matter if we succeed or fail, we all die in the end!"
"But look at everyone here's eyes—who still has any will to live?"
Upon hearing this.
An old man stepped forward. A sharp glint shone in his turbid eyes:
"…My son died. My old wife too. This old life of mine hasn't been worth anything for a long time!"
Another middle-aged man stepped out and said fiercely:
"My daughter was humiliated by some noble young master. I went to report it to the Silvermane Guards—but guess what? After I sat there a while, the Guards just walked away. A gang of thugs rushed in and dragged me into an alley for a brutal beating!"
He pointed at the scar on his face and roared:
"After that, my daughter was depressed every day—wouldn't eat, wouldn't drink. In the end, she jumped off a building and died!"
"You know what I saw when I rushed back from the worksite that day?"
"My daughter—who should have been enjoying the prime of her life—lying in a pool of blood… smashed to pieces!"
Brother Dao pointed at the middle-aged man and laughed at Zeig:
"Kid, he's from the Overworld! It's not just Underworld people here."
"…"
Zeig nodded and said sheepishly:
"Alright, I get what you mean. I'll take the pill."
"Heh, at least you know what's good for you."
After everyone saw Zeig swallow the pill, only then did the people behind lower their gleaming blades.
Brother Dao patted Zeig on the shoulder and laughed:
"Kid, even if you are a spy, I respect your guts!"
A certain someone immediately said helplessly:
"No no no, I'm really not a spy."
"You say you're not, so you're not?"
"I fucking swallowed the pill and you still doubt me—are you bored or what?"
"?"
"Oh, I mean—we're all grasshoppers on the same rope now."
"No no no."
Brother Dao grabbed Zeig by the hair, forcing him to look at the middle-aged man beside them, and laughed:
"You said you're from some hidden cultivation lineage, right? Your skills must be pretty good then."
"Come on, give him the photo!"
Upon hearing this, the middle-aged man silently handed a photo to Zeig.
A certain someone narrowed his eyes at the picture in his hand. It showed an ordinary-looking man—a blond.
He didn't look like much, but his clothes were extravagantly luxurious—not much worse than the outfit Zeig had worn when receiving Screwllum at the space station.
At least on the surface. As for actual value…
A certain someone felt his own set was still more expensive.
"Go kill him."
Brother Dao pointed at the man in the photo and said coldly:
"This guy relied on his family's power and has done countless vile things since childhood. Wear that face of yours, take him out, get yourself on Belobog's wanted list—we'll believe you're not a spy!"
"Wanted list?"
"That's right."
"After killing him, you'll be the enemy of that entire family. How about it? Dare you?"
"I don't dare!"
"Good, since you… huh?"
Brother Dao's brows furrowed into a deep frown. He stared hard into Zeig's eyes:
"Fine—you really are a spy!"
"No, that's not what I meant!"
"?"
A certain someone picked up the iron rod that had fallen to the ground. Though his voice was quiet, it carried resounding impact:
"I'm not just killing him alone—I'm gonna smash his whole damn family! Whoever comes at me, I'll chew them up! Chew chew chew chew chew chew chew chew chew…"
"…"
"If you can walk away unscathed, feel free to try."
What was originally an assassination mission had somehow turned into extermination in this kid's hands.
But extermination it was.
The kid probably wouldn't make it back. Even if he did, he'd be wanted across all of Belobog for the severity of the act.
"Kid, if you can kill him, consider me grateful." The middle-aged man who'd handed over the photo said gravely.
"Of course, it's just words of thanks—I'm penniless."
Brother Dao also sneered:
"For us, the best thanks is seeing these high-and-mighty bastards dead!"
A certain someone nodded:
"Same here!"
…
Afterward, a black hood was placed over Zeig again, blocking his vision.
Then he was led away by the group.
A very long time passed.
When the hood was finally removed, he was already in some alley in Boulder Town.
"…"
Zeig silently walked out of the alley and boarded the cable car heading to the Overworld.
As soon as he got off.
He saw a group of Silvermane Guards standing in strict, orderly formation outside, staring straight at him.
"?"
Gepard coldly watched Zeig and the other passengers, saying gravely:
"We received a report—there's a rebel among this batch of passengers. Everyone, please disembark and cooperate with our investigation!"
"!!!"
…