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墨書 Inktalez
The sewer smelled terrible, and now and then, a few rats or cockroaches scurried past Newton's feet. He even spotted something that looked like a bone floating in the filthy water. However, as Newton followed the man and they walked slowly, the environment began to change—not that it became cleaner, but rather that more people appeared.
Homeless individuals, much like Newton and the man, started to emerge from both sides of the sewer, their eyes glinting with ill intent as they stared at Newton and his companion. Some were sprawled on the ground, twitching uncontrollably.
Although Newton looked like a homeless person on the outside, compared to these individuals, he seemed like a successful person who had just come from an upscale place. The disparity was stark. In this lawless area, such differences provided ample motivation for crime. A few of them exchanged glances before sizing up Newton from head to toe. After a brief nod among themselves, several stood up—some quietly moved behind Newton while others positioned themselves in front of him.
The man's face clearly showed signs of anger as he stepped forward to confront those blocking their path.
"What do you want? I’m with Lord Parker! If you dare to mess with us, you’ll regret it!"
Parker—another name Newton had never heard before. It seemed to imply someone akin to an underground emperor. Yet this name didn’t seem to intimidate the homeless; instead, they burst into laughter.
"Parker? Does Lord Parker care about someone like you? He’s someone even the governor would treat with respect! But you’re right; how many of us underground rats aren’t under Lord Parker’s thumb? But do you think that means you can skip your toll? That guy next to you looks like a newbie. His clothes might be a bit worn, but they’re still better than what we’re wearing. And I bet he has some good stuff on him too."
The last remark was directed at Newton. The man leaned closer, his breath reeking of decay and filth, reminiscent of the sewer itself. Newton merely smiled at the intrusion and stood on one leg before bringing his cane crashing down onto the man's face.
"Ah!"
The man fell to the ground, clutching his face. He seemed quite spirited despite the blow, but the blood staining Newton's cane indicated it had been a serious hit.
"Damn it! A cripple dares to act so arrogantly!"
Immediately, someone refused to comply. The opponent had lost an arm and a leg, yet managed to take down one of their own. If this got out, how would they survive in the future? The middle-aged man hadn’t expected Newton to have such a fiery temper, launching into action without a second thought. After all, the other side outnumbered them by several times, so the man quickly backed down.
“Damn it!”
He cursed under his breath. Sometimes, reputation on this underground street was even more important than above ground. If you were taken down by a Demon Dragon instead of a mere rat, it was clear who would be seen as the easier target. Above ground, there were at least laws to protect you, but here it was pure jungle law; might made right. Therefore, this situation could not end peacefully. The man pulled out a metal baton from his pocket and swung it down towards the head of the person in front of him without hesitation.
“Bang!”
A crisp sound echoed as the head visibly caved in, and the person struck collapsed to the ground, lifeless.
On the other side, although Newton had only one leg, he stood firmly as if rooted to the ground. With a cane in hand, he swung left and right, preventing any homeless person from getting close to him.
The homeless people lacked strategy and were greedy, but they were also perceptive. At first glance, they thought Newton was an easy target due to his disability. However, upon closer inspection, he was anything but an easy mark; he resembled a terrifying beast. The force behind his cane was immense; even a glancing blow could strip skin off. If it landed directly on someone, it could break bones. They were frightened and began to reconsider their approach.
After all, while Alchemy was a form of magic, it also required a high level of physical capability. Coupled with the constant consumption of potions, Newton’s body far exceeded that of an ordinary person. Even some physically enhanced Mages might not match his strength. However, despite his power, the cane was merely of ordinary quality—not some legendary weapon—and under such severe strain, it broke with a loud crack in front of everyone’s astonished eyes.
Newton smirked slightly; this was indeed his first time using a cane to strike someone. It felt surprisingly satisfying, but he remembered that this wasn’t his weapon; it was just something someone had given him out of pity. Feeling a bit regretful about its loss—after all, it was the first item he had acquired upon arriving in this land and held significant sentimental value—he couldn’t help but feel disappointed that it had broken so easily.
“Go for it! He has no weapon now!”
The homeless people had initially decided to give up but saw a glimmer of hope again. If things continued as they had before, they would have surrendered entirely. But now that they had already sustained injuries and several of their own were heavily wounded, they felt compelled to retaliate or risk losing everything. Some among them thought further ahead; Newton clearly wasn’t an ordinary person who would remain lowly forever. If he rose to power later on, they would either need to hide or risk being caught by him. Given how ruthless he had been in combat, he would undoubtedly seek revenge on them later if they escaped now. Although they could pray for help from others, if any powerful figures were interested in them, they wouldn’t be here as homeless individuals.
With these thoughts in mind, some began to fight desperately. However, what followed left them dumbfounded: although Newton had lost his cane, his fists were not something an average person could withstand. Once caught by him, they would face devastating close-quarters combat that would inflict even greater harm.
Before long, everyone had collapsed, leaving only the man who had brought Newton standing. Newton sat atop a pile of bodies, looking as if he were perched on a mountain of corpses.
The man stared at Newton for a moment, then chuckled and extended a hand.
"Norman..."
"Gold Alchemy..."
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