novelraw Chapter 140 : Chapter 140
Chapter 140 : Chapter 140
Chapter 140. The Viper Organization (2)
I was genuinely surprised by the revelation of Viper’s true leader.
“No kidding, the head of the kingdom’s most notorious organization is a woman like you.”
But my real shock wasn’t just her gender.
The woman before me concealed her presence so perfectly that I barely sensed her energy.
Without my sharp instincts, I’d never have realized she was the true Viper leader.
“Hmph, are you looking down on me for being a woman?”
“Not at all. In my experience, women were never weak. Often the opposite.”
“So I’m one of those opposites?”
“We’ll see.”
I withdrew the dagger from the fake Viper’s neck and immediately threw it at the real Viper.
―Whoosh!
With a leisurely smile, she flung the dagger she held.
The two daggers collided mid-air, deflecting each other.
―Clang!
The metallic clash echoed in the cramped space.
‘She’s no pushover. First, I’ll deal with this fake.’
I turned to the fake Viper, who reached for me.
Though he’d hidden his identity, he was no weakling.
He wielded Aura freely, a mark of considerable skill.
But against me, who had grown far beyond such levels, he was outmatched.
“Die!”
He lunged fiercely, but I dodged with a slight tilt of my head.
In a flash, I drew a dagger from my chest and plunged it into his shoulder.
―Stab!
“Ugh!”
Bleeding, he staggered back in pain.
He gritted his teeth, trying to regain his stance, but I was already behind him.
“Too slow.”
I struck his neck, and he collapsed without a scream.
―Thud.
It all happened in five seconds.
In that brief moment, the real Viper, Mei, had silently vanished into the darkness.
‘Sneaky. Planning a guerrilla fight?’
The entire sewer was Viper’s domain.
Mei likely knew this maze like her own hand, while I was a stranger to it.
As if aware, her cold, mocking voice echoed through the darkness.
“Viper is one body. Crossing us means fighting us all.”
“That’d be more convincing if you faced me. Yelling from hiding looks pretty pathetic.”
“Hehe, I wonder how long you’ll keep that composure against us.”
Her mocking laughter faded into the darkness.
‘Where are you?’
I sharply scanned for her energy.
But no trace of Mei’s presence could be felt.
‘As I sensed earlier, her ability to hide her energy is uncanny.’
I decided to escape the sewer without delay.
Unlike when I entered, the torches that lit the way were now extinguished.
Complete darkness.
Nothing was visible, and relying on sight was impossible.
‘Alright…’
As I moved to find my bearings,
―Swoosh!
Two arrows shot from both sides with sharp whistles.
I reflexively twisted, dodging them, and threw a dagger toward their source.
―Thud!
―Clang!
One hit its mark; the other bounced off a wall.
A brief scream followed, then silence.
‘So that’s how you want to play?’
I drew a dagger from my thigh.
Taking a short breath, I held it in my mouth and loosened my body.
‘Fine, let’s see how it feels to be hunted for once.’
I leaped into the sewer’s central water flow.
―Splash!
Almost simultaneously, arrows shot into the water.
―Swish! Swish!
They sank harmlessly, hitting nothing.
…
After a long silence, a Viper member emerged briefly to check if I was dead.
At that moment,
―Splash!
I burst from the water, driving the dagger in my mouth into his neck.
“Gurgle!”
Blood sprayed like a fountain.
Without glancing back, I dove back into the water.
“Where’s this bastard… Ugh!”
Another member, hiding elsewhere, unwittingly revealed himself in surprise.
Realizing he’d exposed his position, he frantically fired his crossbow into the water.
―Pew! Pew! Pew!
The bolts pierced the water, echoing futilely in the dark.
As he scanned nervously, I emerged behind him, slashing his throat with a cold strike.
―Stab!
He collapsed without a sound.
Having killed two, I issued a cold warning into the void.
“You’d better come out soon. Keep testing me from hiding, and your men will be the ones dying.”
Leaving a clear warning for the hidden Viper, I dove back into the water.
―Splash!
Like a predator in a swamp, I moved silently and swiftly through the sewers.
***
While I headed to Veyd Street to find Viper’s base, others were looking for me.
Jack and Jaina, Academy cadets.
“Where’s the young lord?”
“No idea.”
After the war and funeral, they finally had a moment to breathe.
They wanted to catch up with me, whom they hadn’t seen in years.
But despite the war’s end, I was far busier than they expected.
“He’s often with Commander Rona. Maybe ask her?”
“No way. Approach an Executor carelessly? You want a scolding?”
“Can’t we just ask?”
“No. She’s beyond our reach. Let’s find him ourselves. He’s in the city somewhere.”
As a noble, Jaina knew much about Executors.
Her family had produced one long ago, and her reverence for their status was deep.
Though an Executor candidate herself, she felt unworthy to face Rona.
Unlike Jaina, filled with awe for Executors, Jack, who had lived day-to-day, felt little for them.
He saw them merely as powerful figures to aspire to.
“If you say so, my lady.”
They searched the kingdom’s districts for me, but soon realized it was futile.
“Where is he? He didn’t leave the city, did he?”
“No way. The king’s title ceremony is coming up.”
“True, even he wouldn’t disrespect His Majesty.”
“Let’s keep looking?”
Then, behind a collapsed rampart in the shade, they spotted a familiar figure.
The pale, eerie man from Hell’s Path, often with me—Gaiard.
“Let’s ask him. We’ve met before.”
Jack was polite, but Jaina felt uneasy, reluctant to approach.
After all, he’d tried to kill them in Hell’s Path.
Though he seemed different now.
“Fine, let’s ask.”
Jack approached cautiously.
Gaiard, head still, gazed blankly into the breeze.
“Excuse me…”
Jack mustered his utmost courtesy.
“…What?”
“May I ask something?”
“What is it?”
“Have you seen the young lord?”
“…Why ask me?”
“Well… we’ve seen you with him often…”
Gaiard turned, shrugging briefly.
“You don’t know?”
“Don’t know. So don’t bother me.”
He turned away again.
“Oh… Sorry.”
As Jack retreated, Jaina stepped forward, frowning.
“What? Just say you don’t know. Why so curt?”
“…What?”
Gaiard tilted his head, staring at Jaina.
Undaunted, she pressed on.
“Did we really offend you? We just asked. We did nothing wrong, yet you look at us like bugs. That’s rude.”
Gaiard’s eyebrow twitched.
“You…”
Jaina stood firm, but Jack hurriedly grabbed her.
“Stop it.”
“Why? Vampire or not, how old can he be!”
“Hah! You’re asking how old I am?”
Ignoring his rising temper, Jaina shook off Jack and turned away.
“Forget it. Jack, let’s go.”
She stormed off, fuming, and Jack bowed reluctantly, following.
“Hah!”
Amusement outweighed anger.
To a centuries-old being, “how old can he be”?
Gaiard stood.
“Wait.”
Jaina turned, snapping.
“What now?”
He spoke slowly.
“You’re looking for Evan? He’s probably at Veyd Street by now. Red-roofed tavern. Check there.”
Surprised by the unexpected information, Jaina froze, and Jack quickly asked.
“Really? He’s there now?”
Gaiard nodded.
“Yeah. He’s likely there. Hurry.”
Jack bowed deeply.
“Thank you! That helps a lot.”
They rushed off.
Gaiard, watching them go, looked skyward and muttered.
“Cheeky… Fine, getting a taste of trouble might not be bad.”
Given my nature, I was likely already clashing with Viper.
It would surely be a deadly fight.
‘Evan might survive, but you two? Get caught, and you’re dead. Survive, and I’ll forgive your insolence.’
He sent Jack and Jaina into the fray.
Unaware, they followed my trail.