The Devil’s Cage

Quantity incites qualitative change.

Kieran sternly believed in that saying.

And it seemed like these attackers believed it as well and they had very good timing.

A moment where that Kieran couldn’t dodge and this allowed the attackers to stack their firepower and rockets into the “qualitative change” in their mind.

Unfortunately, the qualitative change did not come, or in other words, they picked the wrong person to mess with.

Huuu!

The scorching flames were fired out.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The web of bullets that came from Kieran’s flanks were quickly drowned by the flames, signs of life instantly vanished.

The flying rockets in the sky also burst into flames and were burned to cinders by the Devil Flame.

The sudden assault ended that suddenly as well.

What was left of the scene was rumbling flames and endless flaming tongues ravaging the streets.

Kieran glanced at a further spot. He then put away his gaze and turned to Starbeck behind him.

Even with the system blur, Kieran was very sure that Starbeck’s face was as pale as paper at the moment, but reality exceeded Kieran’s expectation.

Kieran saw Starbeck’s eyes that showed calm and firmness.

“Standing behind you, I am not afraid,” Starbeck answered shyly at Kieran’s surprised gaze.

“Um… Let’s get back to your room first. I’ll go after the leftovers later. And I really think you should find some real bodyguards or equip them with an arsenal fitting of their loyalty! A bare-fisted hunter can’t defeat a jackal, but with a hunting rifle, the hunter can face a group of jackals!” Kieran said as he walked Starbeck back.

“I really tried my best in the arsenal part but…”

Starbeck glanced over the two bodyguards in an ugly state after the assault and still followed him tightly. He couldn’t help but shake his head.

When the fight broke out just now, the two bodyguards swiftly blocked Starbeck’s flanks, blocking away possible stray bullets.

Their loyalty was indisputable, even without the assault just now, Starbeck absolutely trusted the two of them. More precisely, the moment the two of them appeared around him, Starbeck already acknowledged them.

It was just that…

Loyalty did not equate to strength.

Although Starbeck tried his best in giving help to his bodyguards in terms of weapons and items, their growth was less than pleasant.

In fact, all the previous bodyguards of Starbeck shared the same fate of misery.

All of the bodyguards easily cleared the first three dungeons including the trial dungeon consecutively, but when they reached the fourth and fifth dungeon, accidents always happened.

Most of them died and it made Starbeck even more afraid of dungeon runs, it also made him hesitant.

“Arsenals aren’t limited to skills and items only, here as well,” Kieran pointed at his temple. “You should let your bodyguards get some dungeon experience from Lawless and the others—just experience, don’t ask about the contents. If you pay them accordingly, I don’t think they will reject.”

“Dungeon world experience?” Starbeck’s eyes shone.

He never thought of that before.

His fear of dungeon worlds made him instinctively rejected any kind of information, matters about dungeon worlds and with the unwritten rules among players, it provided Starbeck with an excuse.

If the words didn’t come out from Kieran’s mouth, Starbeck wouldn’t even let the person finish and would directly reject the suggestion.

Kieran then walked Starbeck back to his room.

“Be careful,” Starbeck said to Kieran after he opened the door.

“Mhmm,” Kieran nodded.

He watched the door close and the warmth in his eyes was replaced by sheer coldness.

Although he knew the assault just now was just someone testing the water, it didn’t mean he would forgive them.

Just like what Kieran thought before, those who were enamored by money and opposed him would be his enemy.

As for his enemies?

Kill!

Forgiveness?

Sorry, Kieran didn’t have that big of a heart and had even less tolerance.

He couldn’t face death honestly, neither could he forgive any kind of people or matters that caused death.

…

Huuhaa! Huuhaa!

A man holding his sniper rifle was swiftly shuttling across the streets of the Big City. His blurred out face had a heavy sense of fear.

That’s right, fear!

He heard the rumors of the Fiery Devil before but no rumors could compare to the first-hand experience of the horror.

Only when one truly experienced and saw the scorching flames would one understand how horrifying the Devil Flame was.

The group of a dozen men that he gathered with utmost preparation were finished off just like that?

Until now, the man was still a little absent-minded.

That group he put together was armed with a full set of high powered arsenals, the combination could easily clear his current dungeon level!

And that barrier just now!

That barrier blocked the custom made bullet that could tear through a Strong level barrier, the special bullet that contributed to his meritorious achievement could not even move an inch through the devil’s barrier!

Scary!

Too scary!

Sweat kept gushing out of his forehead.

He had decided to give up on the bounty completely and hide in his room until the coast was clear before he showed himself in public again.

But before that!

He had to bring a sufficient amount of resources with him!

When the thought occurred to him, the man showed a ferocious smile behind his system blur.

He wanted to take out his collaborator.

This plan of his never changed from the start.

Since the beginning, the man deemed his collaborator as a backup plan in case the first plan failed.

Soon, the man entered the promised alleyway.

He saw his target in the shadow with a single glance.

“We failed. We must hide according to plan…”

As the man spoke, he slowly approached his target and when he reached optimum distance, he pulled out his gun and fired at his target.

Bang Bang Bang!

Muzzle flash shone.

A magazine clip was emptied out in less than a second.

The man seemed to be quite confident about his charge up attack.

He was waiting for the target to fall, but then he saw a barrier.

A very familiar barrier that blocked all the bullets.

“You…” The man screamed in shock.

But the moment his words came out of his mouth, the target in the shadow extended a hand and dragged the man inside.

Then…

Kacha!

A neck-snapping noise was heard.

…

Meanwhile, inside a dark room, a neck-snapping noise was also heard.

“I’ve said it before, wait and observe!”

“I’ve said it before, we need to place our attention on the Guardians!”

“I’ve said it before, we need to drag Broker into our pace!”

“You? You idiots think that you’re so smart. Now you screwed up everything!”

Each time the voice spoke, a punch was dished out at the target.

With each punch that landed on the target, bone-cracking sounds followed.

There were four other people in the room, all of them looked at the brutal beating but none spoke.

They were waiting for an answer.

Dak Dak Dak.

Footsteps sounded, the figure whose hand was tainted with blood slowly walked out from the shadows.

“I’ll give you all a satisfying explanation,” the man said.