CHAPTER 72: SMUGGLERS

In the frigid cold of the night, a small merchant wagon creaking and wobbling slowly made its way through a dark, gloomy town illuminated by small lanterns.

In every corner, there seemed to be shadows lurking, looking for a victim, someone stupid enough to let their guard down.

"Yup, this is the place." In front of an old tavern, where a couple of barrels of alcoholic rum were stacked, they stopped, and one figure came out to pack them up and load them onto the wagon.

While he did so, he was approached by a young man no older than fifteen. He stretched his hand out and said...

"Guild’s cut."

At first glance, Enzo could point out a lack of manners from the young man; he even seemed to be under the influence. But what he had asked for just now was well within his rights.

He was clearly a member of the thieves guild.

Yes, this was Astoria.

"Meet the boss up front. We don’t have any valuables on us," Enzo responded before picking up another barrel and placing it on the back of the wagon.

These things were heavy, causing him to grunt.

About five minutes later, they finished up and were on their way out of the settlement of Astoria.

"Even the outskirts are so muddled with crime? What kind of a place..." Enzo muttered under his breath, feeling extreme disgust. He was a slum rat, but never had he stolen to feed his family, though he could understand why people stole.

He had seen people at death’s door, saved by the selfish instinct of theft. And how could he blame them for such inclinations when he knew the pull of death?

These guys, however, they weren’t stealing because they were desperate. They did so because, to them, what you had was their right.

"I know, but keep your guard up. They might just steal your pants next," Sword Cleaver mocked as they crossed the gate and entered the open wasteland.

The three of them had weaved to Yari earlier in the day and joined up with Sword Cleaver for the first mission. Who would have known that it would be one in Astoria itself?

During this little mission, Enzo had gotten the opportunity to actually see their target and map out some more entry points. In all, it was a good and easy mission.

As Enzo fell into thought, suddenly one of the barrels shook violently, causing him to look over with a frown. They had been to several places in the outer part of the settlement to get goods, but not once did they get something living.

It shook again—then suddenly, a hand reached out from within the barrel, one belonging to a female.

"Don’t panic, kid. That’s completely normal," Sword Cleaver suddenly spoke, waving his hand from the front to stop Enzo from acting.

In the next few seconds, several more hands stuck out from the barrels as a family of four slowly formed before his very eyes.

"What’s going on?" Enzo was at a loss for words. However, he soon understood.

"What did you think, kid? I’m not just a businessman..." Sword Cleaver smiled coyly.

He was smuggling people out of Astoria. This was one of his many ’missions.’ Enzo knew this guy was no good, but then again, these people seemed very happy to be smuggled out.

’That place must be hell,’ Enzo thought to himself. The look of relief, Enzo could understand it, it was the same as those who lived under tyrannical rule, the feeling of relief was well deserved.

Just as he was going to ask them questions though, a glow of light shot through the sky back in the Astoria settlement, causing Enzo’s eye to twitch and look over.

In that moment—

"Fuck!! They figured it out quick! We need to double up!!" From the front, Sword Cleaver panicked, reining in his horse and forcing it to pick up speed.

From the gates of Astoria, several troops cloaked in ragged thieves’ clothing rode out in absolute fury, racing toward their wagon.

This alone was a big problem; however, what followed was just demoralizing.

A group of five turned to ten—then from other entry points, more joined, turning fifty. Before Enzo’s very eyes, around a hundred men exited Astoria, giving chase.

"What the hell? There are so many... they’re still more?" Enzo’s eyes widened as he saw more reinforcements joining.

No, this didn’t make sense. Smuggling people wasn’t such a big deal to receive such a response. The people rushing out of the settlement were starting to look like a raging flood.

’He definitely stole something more important,’ Enzo glared at Sword Cleaver with vexation.

This guy was going to get them killed.

"Hey, you’re the one that wanted to see Astoria’s might, there you go!" Sword Cleaver laughed hysterically, pushing his steed forward and dragging the wagon along, clearly his previous panic was a facede, he knew what he did. And he knew the response.

"Hmph!!" Enzo sneered, pulling out his dagger.

So what if they were in multitudes? It wasn’t the first time he had seen such numbers. In fact, he had seen way more than this—with things that could wipe out this settlement with a single swing.

Far in front, two horses rode forward toward their wagon. With no reservations, they were heading toward the army of thieves.

The moment they zoomed past the wagon, Enzo too leaped out and landed atop Raven’s horse.

"Let’s not do too much, just enough to allow the wagon to escape!!" Enzo’s voice sounded in the wind as he spoke to the two.

On the opposite side of the field, Zeke saluted Enzo with his index finger before a sudden flash of light engulfed him and he took flight.

"Burn, you fuckers!!" Zeke pushed forward, flying into the small army and allowing the flames around him to pick up, resulting in an explosive collision.

Zeke’s skyfire was a dangerous but well-controlled flame. It could burn, leaving no room for recognition, or it could just damage the enemy. He was an unnatural.

"That’s my cue. See you."

Next, Raven gave Enzo a thumbs-up too, as she also seemed to fly off the horse she was on, leaving the reins to Enzo.

Raven’s affinity was black and white—it was a very vague term. Her abilities were also strange, but what Enzo could get from it was... polarities.

Two orbs made from pure light and pure darkness constantly revolved around her, each at an equal distance from the other, creating an effect that enclosed her and gave her flight.

This wasn’t all.

—Boom!!—

Mid-flight, she sent out an orb into the army, causing it to expand and crash into two individuals, crushing them and their horses instantly.

"Hehe, that’s what you call a crazy talent," Enzo muttered, then quickly calculated the distance between himself and the small army of thieves.

’That’s enough distance. I’ve been itching to try this for a while.’

Enzo thought to himself as he phased into a shadow and comfortably appeared in the middle of the rushing army.

"Let’s see how powerful this innate skill even is," Enzo thought to himself.

Ever since leaving the first voyage, he had unlocked his innate skill—Shadow Manipulation, but using it had been, in one word, difficult.

But he had been practicing...

Closing his eyes, Enzo took in a huge breath of air and felt the creeping shadows around him. With a swing, he caused two spikes to suddenly shoot out from the ground and impale the riders.

It didn’t stop there, because a second later, the same spikes rotated and shot at another set of riders, taking their lives in an instant.

This was Shadow Manipulation.