novelraw Chapter 213: The Third Rank
Chapter 213: The Third Rank
After granting the zombie trapped in the equipment room a final peace, Pandora didn’t bother hunting for a key.
She raised the pistol she’d just reloaded, aimed at the rusted iron lock, and fired.
BANG!
The muffled gunshot echoed in the narrow stairwell.
The lock shattered.
Pandora shoved the heavy door open. A cold wind rushed in, carrying the scent of the Dead City’s afternoon—a mix of dust and something old and unnamable.
She didn’t know exactly where Nicole was hiding, but she knew the planner of this operation was watching closely.
Just as expected, fifteen minutes later, two figures appeared at the stairwell leading to the roof.
Leading the way was Nicole, her blonde hair flying in the wind.
Behind her followed a girl with striking white hair.
Nicole’s sister—Pandora was seeing her outside their home for the first time.
Her name was Alice.
She was the same age as Pandora, but she looked younger. Her body was petite, making her seem twelve or thirteen.
“Alice?”
Pandora nodded, speaking in Ember’s rasp.
“So, that’s your sister’s name.”
She turned her gaze to the white-haired girl hiding behind Nicole, projecting a look of sincere recognition and gratitude. “She was a huge help. I didn’t expect she could summon a Third-Rank zombie directly. That help was significant. Without her, killing Wilbur wouldn’t have been easy.”
Alice wasn’t the social type.
Hearing the praise, she poked her head out from behind Nicole, blinking her big eyes. She seemed to struggle for a moment before whispering, her voice barely audible:
“You too.”
Ember smiled.
But the horrific scars covering half her face made the well-intentioned smile look terrifying.
This made the naturally introverted Alice shrink back like a startled rabbit, pressing herself against Nicole’s back.
Nicole looked at her sister with a fond sigh and patted Alice’s head to comfort her. She didn’t dwell on it.
“Her control only goes so far,” Nicole explained. Her tone held a mix of sisterly pride and regret. “She can’t perfectly control Third-Rank zombies like she does the Second-Rank ones. That parasitic zombie listened to the summons, but that was it; everything after that was its own instinct.”
“It was mainly your contribution. Anyway, our plan worked!”
Nicole’s mood visibly brightened.
She stepped forward, bent down, and lifted the corner of the rag covering Ember’s trophy.
Wilbur’s head—holed by a bullet, severed, and lifeless—was exposed to the weak breeze on the roof.
“This guy is finally dead!”
Nicole stared at the head that once terrified her. Now it just looked like meat. Her eyes showed undisguised disgust and the sweet satisfaction of vengeance.
The man who had almost killed her after the deal in the sewers. The bug that had kept her up at night fuming for a long time. He was dead, taken down by a plan she helped devise.
He definitely never dreamed his death was partly due to the seemingly weak blonde information merchant he’d offended.
Nicole turned her gaze to Pandora, the amazement in her eyes growing heavier.
“Ember, you’ve thwarted ‘The Blood Tonic’ Aldrich’s plans twice now. And you killed ‘Blighted Hand’ Wilbur, the Third-Rank he worked so hard to cultivate.”
“That was the only one at his rank who was completely loyal to him!”
Nicole took a deep breath, her tone holding a touch of disbelief.
As a famous ruthless character in the Dead City, Aldrich naturally had many allies at the same rank.
But their relationship was a fragile alliance built on interests.
It wasn’t like Wilbur.
Wilbur was a true deathsworn. He obeyed commands completely. He was his right-hand man, his sharpest blade.
“He probably knows the news by now.”
Nicole imagined the scene. The corner of her mouth rose.
“He must want you dead.”
“Indeed.”
Ember didn’t deny it. She nodded calmly, as if discussing a trivial matter.
“But he will also be wary. He won’t dare to act rashly.”
Her gaze turned to the gray horizon in the distance, her eyes deep.
“This time, he’ll probably lie low until he finds a truly suitable opportunity to strike.”
She paused, then turned, looking directly into Nicole’s eyes.
“And by that time... I might have already advanced to the Third Rank.”
This was Pandora’s plan.
By using the identity of “Ember” to target Aldrich, she intended to use this identity—which could vanish like a ghost—to attract his attention and rage.
The result was dangerous, but it fit her expectations perfectly.
“The Third Rank...”
Hearing the word, Nicole couldn’t help but murmur it.
Her heart skipped a beat.
She hadn’t expected that her neighbor, the mysterious recluse, was already preparing to break through.
And judging by her tone, she was confident.
In comparison, Nicole was confident about reaching the Third Rank herself, but she still needed time to accumulate resources...
It wasn’t surprising—after all, she had displayed the strength to kill a Third-Rank—but Nicole still zoned out for a moment.
She snapped back to reality, her expression returning to its usual shrewdness.
“So, what do you want to do next?”
“What do you think?”
Pandora didn’t answer directly. She asked back. She wanted to hear the information broker’s opinion.
“I think?”
Nicole raised an eyebrow and nudged the head on the ground with her toe.
“Safety comes first.”
“Although Aldrich will likely be more cautious after this failure, we can’t rule out him losing his mind. Or killing us just to maintain his authority.”
“A veteran Third-Rank is still a veteran Third-Rank. He warrants our utmost caution.”
Nicole’s tone turned serious.