Almost as soon as David and Lucy stepped out of the Phoenix Club, shadowy figures began to emerge in the darkness.
Across the street, from residential buildings, alleyways, and rooftops, mercenary groups, scavengers, and other underworld operatives began to follow them. These figures moved cautiously, keeping their distance, like rats trailing a predator, waiting for the opportune moment to strike.
They all had the same goal: to claim the prize, whatever David and Lucy had taken from the Phoenix Club.
But none dared to make the first move.
David and Lucy passed through a long alley, leaving the bright chaos of Kabuki District behind. Only when the neon lights of the Phoenix Club were no longer visible did they relax slightly.
Lucy, seemingly carefree, bounced ahead of David, her steps light and cheerful. "Hey, David," she called out with a grin, "you've got some serious moves. Were you a mercenary before?"
David shook his head, his hands tucked into his pockets. "No. Why do you ask?"
Lucy turned to face him, walking backward with an amused expression. "Because you're too good. The way you handled those guys back there? That's not normal. It's like you've been doing this your whole life."
Her tone was playful, but David could sense the subtle probing in her words.
He smirked and replied, "I already told you, didn't I? As someone from the Dragon Kingdom, it's only natural for me to know a little of that mysterious Eastern magic."
Lucy rolled her eyes but couldn't hide her growing curiosity. "Sure, magic. You've definitely got more secrets than I do, David." She paused, then added with a teasing smile, "You still owe me that drink, remember? You promised to tell me more about yourself."
The moonlight bathed her pale hair in silver, and her mischievous grin made her look ethereal.
David chuckled softly. "You're really not going to let me off the hook, are you? Fine, let's find a place to sit down and talk."
Lucy's laughter echoed down the alley, bright and carefree. "Sounds like a plan—ugh!"
Her laughter was cut short.
Lucy's body stiffened, her vibrant eyes suddenly dull and lifeless. She crumpled to the ground, her face contorted in pain.
"Lucy!"
David's heart skipped a beat. He rushed toward her, but before he could reach her, a cold voice pierced the night.
"Stop right there, boy. Unless you want her to suffer even more."
David froze, his fists clenched at his sides. He turned his head toward the voice, his eyes narrowing dangerously.
From the shadows, four figures emerged, their faces partially hidden by the dim light.
The man at the front, tall and wiry, was unmistakably Dissol, a known member of the Voodoo Boys. His cybernetic implants glinted faintly under the moonlight.
Dissol smirked, his tone mocking. "So, you're the protozoan kid everyone's talking about. I've got to admit, you're a little more interesting than I expected."
David's eyes flicked to Lucy, who lay motionless on the ground. His voice was icy as he demanded, "What did you do to her?"
Dissol shrugged nonchalantly. "Relax. She's not dead. Just a little nervous system paralysis, courtesy of my hacking skills. Nothing permanent."
He grinned, a cruel edge to his expression. "You know, kind of like what you did to that bodyguard back at the Phoenix Club. Poetic, isn't it?"
David's jaw tightened. His rage simmered beneath the surface, but he forced himself to stay calm. "What do you want?"
Dissol pointed at David with a bony finger. "Hand over whatever you took from the Phoenix Club. Do that, and maybe I'll let your little friend walk away in one piece."
David quickly pieced it together.
While he and Lucy had been talking, their guard momentarily down, Dissol must have hacked into Lucy's neural system, exploiting her cybernetic implants. David, being a pure human without any cybernetic modifications, had been immune to the attack.
Dissol must have assumed this made David an easy target.
He couldn't have been more wrong.
A tense silence hung in the air as David's mind raced.
Several dozen meters away, hidden in the shadows, other mercenary groups and scavengers watched the scene unfold.
Mercenaries whispered among themselves:
"Looks like Rogge's men are getting robbed."
"Yeah, that Voodoo guy's hacking skills are insane. Did you see how he dropped that girl?"
"What do we do, boss?"
"Stay put. Let's see how this plays out."
Scavengers grumbled in frustration:
"Damn it, someone beat us to it!"
"That Dissol guy doesn't play fair. He'll take everything for himself."
"Doesn't matter. That Dragon Kingdom kid is toast. No way a flesh-and-blood human can take on cybernetic lunatics like them."
"Good. Let them wear each other out. Then we'll swoop in and finish the job."
Among them, Orisi, a scavenger leader, cursed under his breath. He glared at David and spat, "That bastard still owes me from last night. I'll make sure he pays—after those Voodoo freaks soften him up."
Back in the alley, David's gaze locked onto Dissol. His voice was low, each word laced with quiet fury.
"You think I'm afraid of you? You think you can walk away from this?"
Dissol laughed, a harsh, grating sound. "Big talk for a protozoan. Face it, kid, you're out of your league."
The three Voodoo gang members behind Dissol snickered, their cybernetic enhancements making them look more machine than human.
But Dissol didn't realize the mistake he had made: underestimating the man standing before him.
David clenched his fists, his expression unreadable. His voice was steady, almost calm. "You have no idea who you're messing with."
The tension in the alley was palpable. The scavengers and mercenaries watching from the sidelines leaned forward, eager to see how the confrontation would end.
And in the shadows, beneath the cold moonlight, the night seemed to hold its breath.
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