Endless Debt Chapter 657 - 168 Trap

The Negative Power User delivered a fierce kick, hitting the target squarely.

The hunched man let out a groan of pain, feeling that a few of his bones were broken, a metallic tang floating in his mouth, a breath stuck in his throat like he was just crawling out of deep water, coughing painfully, spitting out a mouthful of bloody foam.

The Divination Master’s stall was overturned, the two collided and inadvertently crushed the crystal ball beneath them, the solid sphere injuring the Divination Master’s back, rolling over as the sores on his body scraped and burst, foul-smelling pus mixed with blood smeared everywhere, like bugs squashed underfoot, ooze spreading all over.

Hoarse wails emanated from the Divination Master’s mouth, his robe not only a facade of mystery but also an attempt to prevent the sores on his body from being scraped, his body engulfed in intense stabbing pain, every slight movement magnifying the agony.

Lebius stood to the side, wary of his surroundings, aware this was a trap, likely with more than one gunman; as for the rest... it was evident in negotiations that Bologue was much more proficient than him.

The Divination Master struggled to lift his head, seeing Bologue striding towards him, now with a crude Sheep Horn Hammer in his hand, weighty in his grasp.

Bologue stood between the Divination Master and the man, tapping the hammer against their heads, muttering under his breath.

After Bologue finished murmuring that strange spell, the hammer paused atop the Divination Master’s head, Bologue offering him a smile.

"You go first."

It took the Divination Master several seconds to realize; that was no spell but Bologue randomly selecting a target.

"Tell me, who instructed you to do this, the Butcher?"

Bologue crouched down, leveling his gaze with the Divination Master’s, a benign smile spread across his face.

The Divination Master shook his head, well aware of the Butcher’s terror, a slaughter-loving madman.

The Divination Master did not yet fully understand Bologue.

The Iron Hammer descended, and the Divination Master hesitated for a moment before heart-wrenching pain from his palm surged through him, Bologue using the Sheep Horn Hammer in reverse, the sharp horn nailing through the Divination Master’s hand.

"Apologies, you might not have heard clearly," Bologue fiddled with the Sheep Horn Hammer, lifting it stained with fresh blood, "let me ask again."

"Did the Butcher instruct you to do this?"

The Divination Master glared at Bologue, mouth tightly shut, breath hard through his nose.

At some point, the bustling marketplace fell silent.

Since the first gunfire, the marketplace had gone quiet, eyes turning here with ill intent.

The Divination Master yelled desperately as if grasping at a lifeline, "Whoever kills him can earn the Butcher’s friendship!"

Silence lingered briefly, people seemingly weighing whether the bargain was worthwhile. Having decided, some brandished their short knives, others drew firearms.

The Butcher wielded immense influence in Free Port’s shadows, rumored to be associated with the United Company, with the current Navigator being his brother...

Before the battle could begin, a burly man closest to Bologue suddenly flew backward, crashing into a cage with such force that the cage buckled, echoing with continuous Vibration.

A bloody hole burst open in the man’s chest, beneath which bones and organs had turned to mush.

The burly man retained a shred of life, without time to speak pleas before the caged slaves reached out, sharp nails piercing the man’s skin, tearing his flesh, like a pack of avenging wolves amidst grievous moans, hollowing out the man’s heart and lungs.

Lebius stood at the burly man’s former position, fists held steady, knuckle backs stained with blood.

Ordinary people without Ether Protection appeared fragile in Lebius’s eyes. Unknowingly, the Extraordinary Ether had long altered the Condenser, making them seem like a different species compared to ordinary humans.

Amazement enveloped the crowd as Lebius pulled out his firearm, squeezing the trigger repeatedly, a series of precise point-blank shots caused all those wielding weapons to succumb to headshots, blood spray scattering.

Others stood dazed, having hesitated to reach for weapons first, inadvertently sparing their lives.

Lebius tersely instructed, "Stay out of the way."

Cold rain dripped down from above, eerie gusts penetrating the wreckage, brushing against everyone, bringing a sobering sting.

Inhabitants of Free Port often describe society through the lens of the food chain, recognizing one’s position for utmost survival efficiency.

Big fish eat small fish, sharks devour big fish, then larger, more fearsome monsters swallow sharks...

Wrecked Ship Shore was precisely a gathering place at the food chain’s bottom, everyone was small fish, rats converging here to conduct unspeakable trades, earning blood-soaked coins.

The Butcher among them, undoubtedly a bloodthirsty shark, and unlike other sharks, the Butcher is not swayed by wealth. His actions are wildly erratic, and you always find it hard to gauge his intentions.

Yet, even though the Butcher is so terrifying, they knew very well that within this Free Port, there exists an ultimate consumer beyond everyone else.

"The people from the United Company..."

Someone murmured, having heard such news a long time ago. The United Company wanted to eliminate the Butcher, and now their assassins had arrived; the Butcher was going to die.

As if the events that just transpired had never occurred, people shifted their gaze, pretended that Bologue and Lebius were nonexistent. They carried on with their trades and did what they had to do, then only hoped to quickly leave this damned place, flee as far as possible.

Some were unwilling to end it like this.

Chaotic gunfire rang out from above, just as Lebius expected; there was more than one shooter here.

The gunmen perched high above believed this decisive shot could kill Lebius. At the moment the gunfire erupted, Lebius lifted his head, locking eyes through the scope. Then, Lebius’s silhouette vanished in an instant, bullets arrived sluggishly, creating craters on the ground. Numerous craters emerged.

The thundering sound of steel came from overhead. Everyone looked up, trying to find the source of the sound, but all they could see were panels of steel being dented by immense force.

Chaotic gunfire and howling could be heard overhead, followed by the vibration. Every time the vibration sounded, the gunfire and howling would diminish significantly, and then a mass of iron debris fell down like gray-black snow.

After another deafening vibration, the gunfire and howling completely quieted down. An entire steel panel crashed down, hitting the ground hard, kicking up dust and bringing forth blood.

As the dust settled, Lebius stood steadily on the blood-stained steel panel. Aside from some messy clothes, he was unchanged from before, as though he had never left.

Lebius noticed that the cuff of his sleeve was still stained with blood, but this was unavoidable; the Blade-Biting Wolf was too massive for him to carry these Domination Objects around, forcing him to act personally in special circumstances.

Fortunately, the pack of wolves wasn’t far from him. Lebius guessed they were on a certain train, speeding along the tracks toward here.

"Can we continue?"

Bologue maintained that calm smile, which at this moment looked hideous and terrifying in the eyes of the Divination Master.

The Divination Master opened his mouth wide, repeatedly swallowing air, his chest rising and falling, every nerve emitting an ear-piercing scream. The screams overlapped with one another, nearly tearing the Divination Master’s mind apart.

His heart palpitated at a high frequency, constantly stricken with fear. The Divination Master wanted to say something, but when he opened his mouth, he could only emit meaningless moans. Blood continuously oozed from the sores until his whole body convulsed and spasmed.

Bologue somewhat overestimated the Divination Master’s physical constitution; he was entirely a sickly person. The trauma from the Sheep Horn Hammer and the intense pain throughout his body easily shattered the Divination Master’s consciousness.

It seems Bologue was left with only one option.

His gaze fell on the hunched man, who was trembling as he looked at Bologue. Before Bologue could speak, he quickly answered.

"It was...the Butcher who instructed us to do this."

Bologue nodded in satisfaction; the Divination Master in front of him had already gradually calmed down, his head twisted, breathing weakly.

To be more scholarly, this should be called a reference object. Only when a tragic reference is presented before them, did these people realize that if they didn’t cooperate properly, they would face dire consequences.

"Be more specific."

He stuttered in anxiety, "The...The Butcher said you would come, and told us to find a way to stall you."

"Why?"

"I don’t know; he only told us about this."

Bologue stood up straight with a headache, the Sheep Horn Hammer swung in his hand, whistling in the air.

"This is a trap; Hert deceived us."

"Hmm."

Lebius responded indifferently, questioning inwardly.

"What exactly happened to you, Hert?"

No one replied.