CHAPTER 76: CHAPTER 73: THE NAME OF THE GRAYCLOAKS

"Ghana and over twenty Apprentice Level experts are all missing?"

After hearing this, Hou Fei was also shocked by the news.

Recently, the White Feather Gang was making a name for itself in the wilderness, not only the gang leader, but even the three deputy gang leaders were all quasi-martial artists, and Ghana was one of them.

A quasi-martial artist leading over twenty Apprentice Level experts has enough strength to wipe out an ordinary gang in the wild, and it’s hard to imagine what power could keep all these people trapped.

"Brother Hou Fei, this news has spread everywhere now," the Crystal Race woman said enviously, "because of this incident, the entire Human Race Abandoned Area is celebrating, and I heard several surrounding tribes even relinquished some parts they used to fight over near the outskirts of the city, for fear that the Grey Robe Gang would take action."

The land available for living in the Abandoned Area is limited. The closer to the city outskirts, the denser the energy and the safer the journey.

Since her Crystal Race was driven to this remote Abandoned Area, traveling daily to the city outskirts became not only distant but also problematic in terms of safety. Going there to find odd jobs became troublesome, requiring everyone to wake up early every day, or they simply couldn’t compete for the scattered odd jobs posted by various shops near the outskirts.

"The luck of the Human Race is really good; first, there was the genius Qin Mu, and now there’s the Grey Robe Gang," Hou Fei smiled bitterly, "being able to hold back a quasi-martial artist and over twenty Apprentices, with such strength, they now have some chance to seize the streets near the outskirts and establish a strong foothold in the Abandoned Area."

Meanwhile, among the homeless vagabonds living in the Abandoned Area, there are various levels even in the Chasing Light City, given the finite land. Occupying some areas near the outskirts results in a much better life compared to the deeper parts of the Abandoned Area away from the outskirts.

And as long as they can occupy some streets near the outskirts, they would stand firm among the diverse, homeless vagabonds in the outskirts.

"Brother Hou Fei, why don’t we just join forces with the Human Race?" the Crystal Race woman said expectantly, "We have control over secrets in the city center. If our two groups join hands, we can both grow stronger, and we might even return to live near the city outskirts."

"Let’s wait a bit longer," Hou Fei shook his head, looking at the hopeful Crystal Race woman, and could only smile bitterly, "Although the Human Race is a good partner, the White Feather Gang isn’t easy to provoke. If the Grey Robe Gang is wiped out, our secret might be exposed, and our hope to return would be just a dream."

The vagrants of the Crystal Race originally lived near the outskirts, but after the deaths of the strongest two quasi-martial artists and several Extreme Apprentices, they were driven out of their original living areas, not merely due to the rise of the Half-Scale Race.

The Crystal Race woman, upon hearing this, could only give up and return to practicing her knife skills.

In the Chasing Light City, a deserted high-rise building near the outskirts.

"Fluo, big news, the Grey Robe Gang took down Ghana and over twenty Apprentices," Fisher walked into the gang’s training room, looking at Fluo who was practicing with his long spear, and gloated, "This will probably make those guys from White Feather Gang anxious. Losing so many experts all at once, they’ll now find it hard even to maintain a death match."

"Ghana was taken down?" Fluo was shocked and surprised after hearing this, "I never expected that the Grey Robe Gang would be hiding so deeply. A quasi-martial artist and over twenty Apprentices, even for us at Cyan Sparrow Gang, it wouldn’t be easy to keep all of them."

Fluo knew very well that the Grey Robe Gang had concealed some strength. Even with their mastery of Basic Apprentice Martial Arts, they must have strong backers.

But what Fluo did not expect was how fierce the Grey Robe Gang turned out to be, even taking down a quasi-martial artist.

"Isn’t this a good thing?" Fisher laughed, "The gang leader previously reprimanded you for agreeing to cooperate with the Grey Robe Gang, saying the Grey Robe Gang wasn’t strong enough, yet they got a 20% share all at once, which would surely displease the Evil Wolf Gang."

"Now that the Grey Robe Gang wiped out the White Feather Gang’s quasi-martial artist and over twenty Apprentices, their showing strength is not inferior to the Evil Wolf Gang at all."

"And now with more people in the Grey Robe Gang, the Evil Wolf Gang is likely not to be discontent anymore, isn’t this a good thing?"

"The powerful display by the Grey Robe Gang is indeed good," Fluo shook his head, explaining, "but you don’t really think the Grey Robe Gang suffered no losses, do you? It was a battle with one quasi-martial artist and over twenty Apprentices."

"You think the Grey Robe Gang might not be able to gather thirty Apprentices again?" Fisher instantly understood.

Having just received the news, he was too busy celebrating to remember that in such a high-level battle, it wasn’t just the White Feather Gang that took severe losses; the Grey Robe Gang must have also suffered significantly.

"Let’s just say it’s possible," Fluo sighed, "if so, we might have to send more people temporarily from our side, and the gang leader is bound to punish us."

"Let the punishment come," Fisher said indifferently, "On the contrary, with the Grey Robe Gang shining so brightly this time, you should really worry about the White Feather Gang acting against them directly, making it impossible for the Grey Robe Gang to participate in the deathmatch."

"I’m not concerned about that. Even if the White Feather Gang intends to act, it will likely be after the deathmatch," Fluo smiled and said, "The White Feather Gang just lost so many experts, and considering the deathmatch, they won’t risk using a large number of experts to exterminate the Grey Robe Gang. If those experts suffer further losses, it could affect the outcome of the deathmatch."

"If so, what is there to worry about?" Fisher rolled his eyes at Fluo and then admiredly said, "But this time, the Grey Robe Gang truly made a name for themselves among outdoor gangs, taking down a quasi-martial artist and over twenty Apprentices at once, hasn’t been seen in the wild for about four or five years. Now, I’m sure many gangs are investigating the Grey Robe Gang."

"Indeed," Fluo nodded, "The origin of the Grey Robe Gang is a mystery. I previously thought it was founded by an expert from the city outskirts, but now it seems the Grey Robe Gang is stronger than I estimated."

"I have previously investigated that the Grey Robe Gang is closely connected with the Phosphorus Fire Trading Market, perhaps just a gang created by the Phosphorus Fire Gang, otherwise impossible to have garnered such terrifying strength in a short time."

"No wonder the leader of the Grey Robe Gang was so confident back then; it turns out to be an outdoor gang created by the Phosphorus Fire Gang," Fisher recalled Lin Qi’s indifference and lack of deference towards their trio.

Typically, encountering members from Cyan Sparrow Gang, such a new outdoor gang, even with some strength, wouldn’t be arrogant, at least showing admiration.

But members from Grey Robe Gang, from Lin Qi to the ranks below, looked at them without any reverence for strength.

Now Fisher fully understood.

Backed by a major gang like Phosphorus Fire Gang from the city outskirts, naturally they wouldn’t bother giving utmost attention to Cyan Sparrow Gang.

"Who knows what Phosphorus Fire Gang aims to do in the wild, but thankfully, back then, our cooperation was quite harmonious. Now we’ve somewhat latched onto a small leg of the Phosphorus Fire Gang," Fluo thought about this and couldn’t help but commend his choice back then.

The Phosphorus Fire Gang is such a formidable existence, and it’s unlikely for an outdoor gang to become a lackey, even if they tried. Many gangs in the city outskirts vie for a connection, especially with those genius martial artists emerging from the Half-Scale Race, rapidly boosting its stature in the Chasing Light City, making connections tougher.

Though he hadn’t directly connected with the Phosphorus Fire Gang, aligning with the Grey Robe Gang under their banner was already a significant achievement.

While outdoor gangs privately investigated and discussed the Grey Robe Gang, Lin Qi was sorting through the loot in the Martial Arts Hall’s lounge.

"This group’s weaponry is truly impressive. Each one has A6 level weapons, totaling twenty-six, with a variety of weapon types. Now the A6 level can meet the daily needs of players without needing further purchases," Lin Qi was satisfied looking at the array of weapons before shifting his gaze to the belongings of the White Feather Gang members on the table.

If external weaponry is the vagrants’ wealth, then the items on the table are the true treasures of the White Feather Gang experts.

Members of outdoor gangs typically live in the gang’s base, but since those lounges aren’t secure, they usually carry precious items with them.

Especially experts above Apprentice Level, given their strength and confidence in self-defense, wouldn’t leave precious belongings in gang accommodations.

"Why is there a metal plate? A Heart-Protecting Mirror?" Lin Qi curiously examined a metal plate the size of half an A4 paper, "I remember this was something that Ghana had, even after wearing an A6 level armor, why would he carry this?"

"No, wait!" Lin Qi noticed there was something unusual about the metal plate.

He had clearly struck Ghana on the chest, and this plate lay there, with the A6 level armor slightly dented, yet this metal plate remained unaffected, without the slightest bloodstain.

At the time, Ghana bled profusely, and his A6 level armor required extensive cleaning by the players. Yet there wasn’t a spot of blood on this metal plate, which seemed odd.

"Could this thing absorb blood?"

Curious, Lin Qi picked up a blood-stained item on the table and pressed it against the metal plate to see if it indeed absorbed blood.