The Devil’s Cage

Karles and Mark also skipped a breath like Rachel did when they saw the never before seen card.

However, before both of them asked anything, Wu spoke, “Karles, Mark, can you give us a moment?”

“I want to speak alone with 2567,” Wu said.

“Okay.”

“No problem.”

Karles and Mark stood up without a second thought. They parted with Rachel and Wu before heading outside and throughout the process, they didn’t even speak to Kieran.

Kieran didn’t express anything about their absence either.

In Kieran’s point of view, Karles and Mark were strangers, strangers with names attached.

Besides, Kieran was quite curious about what Wu wanted to talk to him about.

Further away, the sound of door shutting sounded.

Rachel sat back on the sofa chair with her crossed arms, sizing up Kieran quietly.

Despite the system blur, Kieran felt like he was sitting on needles.

“I think you can speak your mind, Rachel,” Kieran shrugged at Rachel.

“I…”

Roar!

Just when Rachel was about to say something, a fierce, loud tiger roar pierced the sound isolation magic circle.

“That damn bastard, causing troubles again! Stay here.”

“Wu, I’ll leave this to you.”

Rachel’s face changed when she heard the roar, she urged Kieran to stay and left Wu behind before vanishing on the spot.

Kieran, however, didn’t plan to listen to Rachel because he knew where the tiger roar originated from, Lawless!

Lawless was the first and one of the two friends that could let Kieran lower his guards.

Kieran too stood up and wanted to walk outside but Wu mysteriously appeared before him in mist form, blocking him.

“Move!” Kieran said coldly.

Harvest Inn was Rachel’s room and it should be the safest place in the game but not entirely. With multiple encounters, Kieran knew the players had tricks to bypass the restrictions.

“I am not here to stop you, I just hope you can bring it.”

Wu then took out a card.

The crow! It was the card of the crow but this time around, it wasn’t black, it wasn’t golden but bloody red!

The blood crow was standing on top of layers of bodies, a hill of corpses! It was slowly combing its feathers on the peak.

The golden eyes of the blood crow were arrogantly looking down on all life with haughtiness.

Kieran exchanged gazes with the golden eyes, he could clearly feel the arrogance and haughtiness from the card but it didn’t mean he would accept the card.

Or in other words, Kieran will never suddenly accept gifts from strangers, especially in this big city where all sorts of powers and abilities were present.

No one could guarantee what a simple, normal looking card would bring.

“No need,” Kieran rejected and walked around Wu.

Wu didn’t stop him, instead, he saw Kieran off.

The blood crow card slightly shook when Kieran walked passed Wu and when Kieran completely disappeared from sight, the card burst into flames.

Fuu!

The flames were burning high on the card.

Then, the black crow, golden crow’s card appeared together and went into the burning flames.

In the end… the cards were burned to nothing.

No ashes left behind, no residue at all.

“Crow…crow…”

Wu muttered softly as he watched the scene before him, he then sobbed softly.

He was crying with joy.

…

Karles and Mark left the small living room side by side, they exited from the entrance and when the door was closed, Mark suddenly asked, “What do you think?”

“What what do I think?”

Karles looked at Mark, confused.

“That newcomer, don’t you think Rachel and Wu’s attitude are different regarding him?”

Mark took in a breath before reminding Karles.

“Wu is quite tolerant to anyone, but Rachel? If you can understand her character, you can try to challenge the urban myths of the big city,” Karles said without showing too much concern.

“Let’s put Rachel aside, we talk about Wu first. Do you think Wu was just being tolerant to that newcomer?” Mark emphasized.

“What else then?”

Karles shrugged and walked towards the bar counter like he didn’t care.

Mark paused for a while before quickly catching up.

After glancing a house full of drunkards, Mark lowered his voice when he stood beside Karles.

“So you are okay with this?”

Karles didn’t answer. His movement paused for a while and was ready to continue forward as if he didn’t hear the question.

However, the moment Karles stepped out, his body froze on the spot suddenly; Mark too.

Both of them looked as if they were struck by petrifying magic as they were stunned on the spot because a pair of huge hands were silently tapping on their shoulders.

A strong muscular body then squeezed in between them.

“I think I heard someone discussing my friend behind his back, eh? Didn’t your parents teach you to not talk badly about others? You want your tongues to rot? Or… do I have to pull those rotten tongues out?”

A drunk yet powerful voice entered Karles and Mark’s ears.

Both of their stiff bodies got even stiffer because they saw a giant stripe tiger walking towards them slowly. Its limbs were strong and claws were sharp, each time the tiger moved, its claws would tear the floor. Its big and strong body was like the city walls and the stripes that resembled the Chinese character “king” on the tiger’s head looked even more fearsome following the killing intent in the tiger’s eyes; both of them couldn’t even breathe properly.

However, what was more terrifying was the roar that came after that.

Roar!

A loud roar challenged heaven and earth, as if a class 10 typhoon assaulted Karles and Mark’s face, causing them to squint their eyes.

Then, both of them felt numbness on their tongues.

When both of them were freed from the shock, they only realized, without knowing when that their tongues were pulled out by Lawless and the pressure exerted through his thumb was increasing by the second.

Seemed like Lawless wasn’t joking.

“Lawless!”

Mark shouted in a muddled tone.

“Get your hands off, we don’t mean anything!” Karles said.

“You don’t mean anything? The jealousy of 2567 in your heart almost set Afu off!”

“And you! You bastard hiding a sense of betrayal deep in your heart, you should die! Afu said it picked up Broker’s smell on you… that goddamn bastard! He thinks he controls everything?”

Amidst the cold voice, Starbeck who was obviously drunk stood in front of the two.

Unlike the usually scared Starbeck, now in his drunken state, Starbeck had unconcealable confidence and power! He even looked fierce!

Fuuu!

Amidst the first light of dawn, the morning breeze shook the small white flower and caused the petals the dance. As the petal danced, it revealed the sharp, saw-like teeth underneath.

The teeth were sharp and were glaring coldly.

The teeth were ruthless and would devour as it chose its target.

The mimosa plant was actually a hidden cannibal plant!

TL Note:

The Chinese character “王” means King. It is the pattern on the tiger’s head.

Ancient Chinese culture said the stripes on the tiger’s head represent its king status in the jungle but it was just a myth.