Arknightcraft Modpack
Chapter 517: Line Up First, Will You?
It wasn't only Steven who was startled by the sudden appearance of these people—even the girl at the center of it all, the one with those peculiar mouse-like features, hadn't anticipated such a development.
Before reaching the entrance of the bar, she had already noticed Steven's completely undisguised gaze. It had been so blatantly fixed on her thighs that it was impossible to ignore.
Yet what truly intrigued and puzzled her was that there wasn't any lewd intent in his eyes. Instead, it felt more like he was looking at a handy tool he'd just found.
Of course, the real reason she hadn't immediately gone over to teach this rude fellow a lesson—so he'd understand that some things weren't meant to be stared at endlessly—was the stick-like object resting on his shoulder.
Most people in the slums couldn't recognize what that thing was, but her trained eyes were not so easily fooled. She was one thousand percent certain it was the same kind of weapon the explosive-loving Sankta from Laterano were so proud of—the so-called "guns."
What puzzled her just as much, however, was that Steven didn't look like a Laterano at all—he lacked the unmistakable halo and wings they could never quite hide. So how had he gotten his hands on something like that? It was worth pondering.
Especially now that he was standing right in front of her family's establishment, Lin Yuhsia felt that, as the daughter of Lungmen's underground emperor—the legendary "Lin Gray"—she had a responsibility to step forward and handle this unexpected visitor.
Yet perhaps because her attention had been fully focused on Steven, or perhaps because the black-clad men hidden among the crowd were exceptionally skilled at concealing themselves, Lin Yuhsia was genuinely startled when they suddenly sprang out.
But she quickly regained her composure. She didn't know whether these men were connected to Steven, but if they intended to do something to her in the slums of Lungmen, then they had clearly chosen the wrong target.
The black-clad men moved swiftly, sealing off her escape routes in the blink of an eye. Various weapons appeared in their hands, all aimed at the girl standing in the center.
"Miss Lin, would you mind coming with us? We merely wish to discuss a business deal with your father. Before that, our boss believes it would be appropriate to invite you for a drink."
Their words were polite, but their expressions showed no intention of waiting for her answer. Instead, they used the opportunity to inch closer and closer.
The slum residents who had been watching for entertainment quickly dispersed once they sensed that this atmosphere was different from the usual street scuffles. Even enjoying a spectacle required judgment—this palpable killing intent was not something ordinary people could safely linger around.
As for the black-clad girl at the center, she stared at the men—whose features were clearly different from those of Yan locals—and quickly deduced their identities. They were nothing more than gang members pushed out of Columbia, hoping to carve out a share in Lungmen without following the rules, resorting to such despicable tactics instead.
She scoffed inwardly at their behavior, but what puzzled her more was why the members inside her own bar showed no reaction at all. Not a single person had come out to assist her, as though they were completely unaware of what was happening outside.
That could only mean the Columbian group had invested heavily—enough to buy off the people here and even track her movements.
Watching the men close in, preparing to take her away by force, the girl considered whether she should simply cooperate, meet the one pulling the strings behind the scenes, and then uproot them entirely.
After all, fighting here would somewhat damage her image. And once her true strength was exposed, it would do her no favors in her future work.
Having reached that conclusion, the girl was just about to cooperate and let them take her away. But just as she had given up resisting, a strange voice rang out, interrupting the kidnapping that was moments from completion.
"Excuse me—whether you're here to rob or to kidnap, could you at least respect first come, first served? Ever heard of lining up?"
At some point, the boy with the AK slung over his shoulder had stepped in front of her. With a roguish, laid-back posture, he tilted his head while sizing up the black-clad men, all the while reminding them to observe some basic manners.
Unfortunately for Steven, his sudden appearance meant nothing to these determined men in black. Their target had always been the pink-haired girl. As for Steven blocking the way—whatever nonsense he was spouting wouldn't change what was about to happen.
The man at the front expressionlessly swung the weapon in his hand. Accompanied by a classic Columbian curse, the iron rod he gripped came smashing down toward Steven's head.
They didn't care in the slightest about the life or death of someone like Steven. To them, anyone who stood in their way was an enemy. And an enemy's final destination was nothing but defeat—or death.
Only this time, things were different.
The instant he swung, instead of the familiar sensation of his weapon striking something, he felt a sharp, explosive pain erupt from his thigh.
A deafening gunshot reached his ears a split second later. His face twisted in agony as he clutched his leg and collapsed to the ground.
In front of him, Steven—who should have been the one lying there—blew lightly on the muzzle of the AK still trailing a wisp of smoke and flashed the black-clad men an exceedingly friendly smile.
"I usually prefer to reason things out. But if you like to start with violence, I'm more than happy to oblige."
Truth be told, Steven had never intended to play the hero and save a damsel in distress. From the beginning, he had only been interested in the girl's black stockings. As a proper bandit, lacking a pair of black stockings as a head covering meant lacking a soul.
Once he had obtained what he wanted, whatever these men planned to do to the girl would've been their business. At most, Steven would have watched from the sidelines. This could have been resolved neatly if everyone had followed the rules—but they simply couldn't resist striking first.
Since they hadn't even given him a chance to explain, Steven saw no reason to hold back.
However, his powerful shot didn't quite produce the deterrent effect he had expected. At least, when the black-clad men saw their companion clutching his leg and fall, they didn't retreat. Instead, they seemed enraged, charging at Steven with their weapons raised.
"So I guess I'll have to properly educate you about the power of firearms. If no one's afraid of a gun, then this thing loses half its usefulness."
As he spoke, he casually unleashed a stream of bullets at the men rushing toward him, as though he were playing with a toy. The AK's notorious recoil might as well not have existed for Steven. Whenever his aim settled on someone's thigh, what followed was a blood-filled crater the size of a bowl.
This was a rifle, after all. When it hit a human body, it wasn't going to leave behind a neat little bullet hole. After a single burst, surviving at all would already be considered fortunate.
After leaving a small "souvenir" on every one of the black-clad men, the only people still standing at the scene were Steven and the pink-haired girl beside him, who was still trying to process what had just happened. All the others were sprawled on the ground, clutching their thighs and groaning in agony.
Having finished his handiwork, Steven calmly rotated the muzzle of his gun and aimed it at the girl behind him.
"Robbery. Take off the stockings."
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Note: Character Illustration is in this Google Drive:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1iuyfwNVFHzIi9H4rWNT_lAm7jTSiah_M
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Tn: I updated the story daily, but if you want to see more chapter of this story ahead of time, please go to my Patreon.
Latest Chapter: Chapter 617: A Bold Guess[1]
Link: https://www.patreon.com/Thatsnakegirl/posts/arknightcraft-160680628[2]
[1] https://www.patreon.com/Thatsnakegirl/posts/arknightcraft-160680628
[2] https://www.patreon.com/Thatsnakegirl/posts/arknightcraft-160680628