CHAPTER 82: CHAPTER 82: ASSASSIN

The two of them left the warehouse and strolled through the streets of Ironhold City.

Soon Alex quickly noticed something wrong."Hmm?"

The city felt different. As if it is more alive than when he first arrived.

Conditions had clearly improved here, Although people were still thin, but their eyes were brighter, full of energy and hope.

Along the street, small groups chatted together.

"I heard the government finally found the relief grain that was stolen!

The McCoy family even joined forces with the officials to wipe out the bandit stronghold!"

"Is that true? Weren’t those bandits impossible to track down? Their lair was said to be hidden, impossible to find.

How did it suddenly get discovered?"

"They say it was some man named Alex.

He’s is said to be incredibly talented, he somehow found their hideout by himself!"

"Anyone who can find out that lair and escape unscathed ... that’s no ordinary person!"

"Well, I also heard the bandit leader escaped. Now he’s looking for that man, swearing to take revenge!"

"That leader deserves to die anyway!"

The street buzzed with chatter.

The destruction of the bandits’ nest.

The return of the stolen food.

The government distributing relief grain so the people could finally eat their fill.

Naturally, everyone was talking about this mysterious "Mr. Alex."

"So it really happened..." Alex murmured.

He hadn’t expected Miss Evelyn to act so quickly. In just two days, the lair had been wiped out.

But one thing made him frown the leader had not been caught yet, And worse, he was now hunting for him.

Alex understood what that meant.

He had gained not just a reputation, but also a mortal enemy.

Even so, he was not afraid. With Jacob beside him who is deadly with his martial arts and him being armed with an electric baton, he had more than enough confidence to protect himself.

"Bandit leader, huh?" Jacob muttered, a strange look flashing across his face.

"You know who it is?" Alex asked curiously.

Jacob nodded. "We have some fights with each other before. The bandits have actually three chiefs, they are named as the Grodd, Ronnie, and Eobard.

All of them call themselves leaders, but only one insists on being ’the Boss.’

That would be Ronnie, the eldest of them all."

Alex raised his brows. "And how do you know all this?"

Jacob looked embarrassed.

"To tell the truth, there was a time I thought about joining them. The chiefs knew I was a strong fighter and were eager to take me in their gang.

But my mother told me that if I ever became a bandit, she’d smash her head against the wall and die.

So... I gave it up."

Alex chuckled. "It’s a good thing you didn’t. Otherwise you’d be a bandit chief by now."

He meant it. Having seen Jacob fight, he knew just how terrifyingly strong the man was.

If not for his mother’s restraint, Jacob would have become a most feared Bandit in the area.

But now, he was his subordinate. That thought gave Alex a quiet sense of pride.

Just then—

"Boss, look out!"

Jacob suddenly roared, stepping in front of Alex.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

A storm of throwing knives clattered against his body. Although Jacob grunted, absorbing the impact and faint lines marked his flesh where the blades had grazed, but none had broken through his tough as a stone skin.

"Coward Assassin!" he bellowed, fury clearly appearing in his voice.

"How dare you attack my boss!"

"This little shit is very skilled Boss, he even managed to cut me with a throwing knife! Boss, be careful!"

Jacob eyes narrowed as he warned Alex , standing behind him.

He had trained his body through years of brutal conditioning.

Ordinary blades could not pierce his skin easily, yet this Assassin’s knife had drawn some blood.

Although this was just a shallow cut, but it is enough to prove that the attacker was not some ordinary Assassin, but clearly a Martial Artist.

Alex’s expression darkened as he fixed his gaze on the shadows around the streets of Ironhold.

Damn it... ambushed the moment I step outside.

Bad Luck!

Only if I should have checked mine almanac today, I would have known that today was a cursed day.

Although Jacob was like an iron wall in front of him and the Assassin.

And although he knew how formidable the skin of Jacob truly is after all it had once seen how a butcher’s knife bounce off his neck, leaving nothing more than a faint mark.

But equally it is also very frightening for this thief to draw even a trickle of blood and it meant his opponent was dangerous.

If Jacob hadn’t been here, those knives would have already left gaping holes in him, maybe even killed him outright.

Just the thought made his pulse race.

Jacob stilled himself, listening carefully.

His instincts picked up faint movements along the eaves to the east and west.

"Quit hiding. I know where you are!

Come out and fight or you will be left without a full body!"

With a roar, he sprang five meters into the air, landing on the roof like a boulder crashing down.

There, cloaked in black, was the Assassin.

Jacob lunged straight at him, his fist swinging like a hammer ready to fall.

They clashed.

Jacob style was brutal and direct, every punch like a bullet shot in from a gun.

The Assassin was the opposite he is quick, agile, darting and weaving around as if trying to pass the time.

Roof tiles shattered beneath their fight, scattering across the ground.

Even so, no one could dodge forever.

Jacob massive fist finally landed on him squarely, slamming into the assassin’s stomach.

The assassin grunted after thrown from the roof.

He rolled mid-fall and barely landed on his feet, staggering.

"Let’s see how long you can keep this up!" Jacob snarled, dropping from the roof and advancing step by step. "You dared to attack my boss, Be ready today, you’ll pay in blood!"

The Assassin snickered faintly, clutching his stomach. "Heh... didn’t think you’d last this long."

Jacob blinked confused.

But suddenly his expression changed his body wavered.

He glanced down at the shallow wound on his arm—already turning an ugly purple.

A sudden wave of weakness spread through him, draining his strength.

"This... this knife..." His voice cracked with realization. "...it was poisoned."