The Devil’s Cage

Kacha, kacha!

Amidst the noisy crunching, the cookies in the basket were finished quickly.

Kieran was never a picky eater, he also had an unimaginable tolerance for food, so even if the food had flaws, he didn’t mind, let alone a near-perfect piece of cookie.

Kieran ate his cookies happily.

When the cookies in the basket were finished, Starbeck poured a cup of tea from the thermal flask and served it to Kieran.

“I should really use a teapot, the thermal flash might keep it warm but it will rob the freshness of the tea leaves and make it a bitter drink. Too bad I can’t find a suitable teapot.” Starbeck sighed softly after Kieran accepted the tea.

“I don’t know much about tea but this is good enough. Just like the food you make, it always gives me a kind of feeling that others can’t,” Kieran replied with a smile.

His words weren’t over complimenting Starbeck, it was the truth for him.

Kieran tasted many kinds of food in the dungeon world but none could compare to Starbeck’s cooking.

Not in terms of color, aroma or taste and definitely not because of different cooking ingredients but… Gluttony!

Every time he tasted Starbeck’s cooking, Gluttony was more lively than at any other time. This time was no exception either.

Standing in front of the temptation of food, Gluttony expelled the chaos and darkness in Kieran’s body almost twice as fast as before.

After getting a satisfying meal, the expelling speed grew faster, almost twofold compared to the original speed.

Kieran could clearly feel the chaos and darkness in his body being rapidly clearing up.

But when the chaos and darkness in his body were emptied out, the clump in his brain refilled his body with the exact amount of chaos and darkness again.

Kieran was used to it anyhow, he wasn’t anxious by any means.

Dripping water wears through stones. Kieran truly believed that.

So before that day arrives, he needed to prepare himself sufficiently.

He drained the tea in his cup and gave back the empty cup to Starbeck whose eyes were cheery as he smiled and they turned into crescent moons.

For Starbeck, what else was better than Kieran’s compliments?

Complimenting twice!

“This is really good.”

“I’ll send you back,” Kieran then stood up.

“Huh? What happened?” Starbeck was stunned.

Starbeck was sure that Kieran knew he came to 13th Wallway Street with bodyguards.

Given the conditions, Kieran still wanted to send him back…

He might be a coward but he definitely wasn’t an idiot. Quite the opposite, Starbeck was smart enough and sharp enough.

Kieran didn’t hide the truth from Starbeck either.

After categorizing Starbeck as his friend, Kieran wouldn’t purposely hide the fact that he had a bounty on his head.

Kieran honestly told Starbeck what happened after Starbeck asked.

“A five million Point bounty on you?!”

A keen gaze appeared in Starbeck’s bright eyes as if a small white flower grew thorns.

One could hardly imagine the changes in Starbeck’s eyes.

Kieran who saw the other side of Starbeck before wasn’t all that surprised though, but what Starbeck said after that still shook him.

“Leave it to me. If he used five million to put a bounty on you, I’ll put a 10 million bounty for his location and 10 more million for his life. That guy has no idea what the true power of money is,” Starbeck said seriously.

With his serious tone, the numbers that Starbeck mentioned sounded so worthless, as though five million and 10 million are purely numbers to Starbeck, not something that players risked their lives for.

But Kieran believed that Starbeck meant what he said, it was just that he wouldn’t allow him to do it, even though it will be the simplest way.

“If that guy is really the mastermind behind this, I would really want you to do so, it would be a clean and lethal strike,” Kieran smiled and shook his head.

“He isn’t the mastermind? I guess that’s right as well. While Broker was so active in the big city and the Guardians lurked in the dark, this guy didn’t even show his face. Seems like this guy is much more patient than expected, he shouldn’t have used a direct way to remove the biggest obstacles in the Big City,” said Starbeck after some thought.

“Yup. So, I have reason to believe that the guy who published the bounty on me is just a distraction that the mastermind put out to attract our attention. Don’t worry. I’ll deal with it. I am also quite curious which guy is so patient. Now, it’s time for you to go home. I’ll send you,” Kieran then stood up.

Starbeck followed Kieran out of 13th Wallway Street and boarded the train. The two bodyguards that hid in the dark also boarded the train shortly after but both of them sat beside Starbeck without reading the atmosphere.

Obviously, both the bodyguards were carrying out their duty in protecting Starbeck, despite both of them knowing Starbeck was in the safest place in the Big City at the moment.

The power of the Fiery Devil was acknowledged by all a while ago, so the bodyguards knew as well.

Kieran sized up the two bodyguards and nodded slightly.

He was quite satisfied with the professionalism in the bodyguards.

Kieran would protect Starbeck no matter what happened and it was a cold hard fact but given the condition, the two bodyguards still placed Starbeck’s safety above all, it was enough to show their professionalism.

It would also be natural that such professional bodyguards appeared around Starbeck.

“What’s wrong?” Starbeck asked.

“Not bad,” Kieran answered.

It sounded like a brainless answer but Starbeck reacted quickly and nodded with a smile.

The bodyguards were always his first line of defense since he was a coward.

He knew it himself, so Starbeck would never be careless.

The train soon arrived at its destination.

The two bodyguards stepped off the train first to make sure it was safe.

After they made sure the coast was clear, they signaled Kieran and Starbeck.

However, just as Kieran was walking down the train side by side with Starbeck, he frowned.

Malicious intent!

And…

Reflection!

Sniper!

As the information popped up in his mind, Kieran’s body already moved forward and blocked Starbeck behind him.

Bang!

A gunshot came from afar and the yellow bullet landed on [Primus Scale II], the force field barrier.

The bullet was obviously custom made.

After the bullet struck the Extreme level defensive barrier, it didn’t cancel out the impact, instead, an explosion went off and caused the Extreme level defensive barrier to tremble.

But ultimately, it did not penetrate the barrier.

Pak!

The distorted bullet fell to the floor.

That sound was like a signal gun as it attracted more attacks.

Dak Dak Dak Dak Dak Dak!

Concentrated webs of bullets quickly covered Kieran from his flanks.

Further away, two rockets were fired at their target with a smokey trail.