At the edge of a cliff ahead.
Two vagrants were holding weapons, discussing something.
"Damn it, have those robots gone crazy? If they hadn't come to stir things up, we'd still have a chance!"
"Don't even mention it—we've all been driven out now. What can we do? You gonna go 1v1 those big tin cans?"
Zeig sniffed, stood behind them, pricked up his ears, and listened carefully.
"There's still a way. Just now, I saw it—when those miners were chased out, they were loaded with a ton of Geomarrow!"
"Really? Then why don't we go rob them?"
"Heh heh heh! That's exactly what I was thinking!"
Bang—!!
The two vagrants only felt a heavy blow to their heads, then their vision spun.
It gradually went black.
They collapsed with a thud.
Zeig held a brick, hunched over, carefully examining the two vagrants' faces.
"Good, they're wearing masks—no mistake."
He nodded, then continued charging inside with the brick.
He ran for who knows how long.
From ahead came a noisy clamor.
Like a market quarrel.
"You bullies who pick on the weak—how come you're not so tough in front of Svarog's lackeys? You sure ran fast—faster than the miners!" A woman dressed as a miner, hands on hips, was leading the scolding of the group of vagrants in front of her.
Behind her, several miners also glared at them angrily.
One of the vagrants retorted:
"Are you kidding? Risk our lives against robots—what do we get out of it? Besides, isn't this all your fault? Antonia, you dug up such a huge Geomarrow vein and kept it secret—how's eating it all by yourselves taste?!"
The vagrants behind him all nodded, the momentum of the two sides evenly matched.
The woman named Antonia's gaze grew even sharper:
"This mine has always been our territory. When the mining team was working day and night, what were you doing? Slacking off, goofing around, filling positions without working—plenty of you were sleeping in the camps the mining team cleared for you, right? What gives you the face to demand this Geomarrow?!"
"All you do is eat and laze around, always thinking of taking advantage, and you're so self-righteous about it… Is this something the mining team owes you?!"
Even with Antonia's words so cutting, the vagrants showed no shame at all.
Instead, they said as if it were obvious:
"Can't even fill our bellies—what else matters? I bet you're just hoping we all starve to death so the mining team can save some rations, right!"
"That's exactly what they're thinking!" the other vagrants chimed in.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah—you miners are dead set on harming us! We're just fighting for our own interests—what's wrong with that?!"
These vagrants' words made Antonia's face flush red with anger. She gritted her teeth:
"…As expected, reasoning with trash like you is a waste of breath. You're nothing but thugs and ruffians. Great—now because of all this commotion, the entire vein has been occupied by robots. No one gets to mine it!"
Zeig slowly approached.
He saw the vagrants exchange glances and smirk evilly:
"Heh heh, yeah, we can't get the vein anymore—but there's still you lot!"
With that, they tightened their grip on their weapons and slowly advanced toward the miners.
This scene left Zeig somewhat incredulous.
"Why do these vagrants have such good equipment?!"
Weren't they supposed to be starving?
They even had masks, and the weapons in their hands looked pretty vicious.
If Zeig were the mining boss, he'd definitely confiscate all their weapons and masks first—or offer a bit of food and buy them cheaply.
Whoever holds the weapons calls the shots—how could you let these people have the means to rebel?
At that moment,
someone patted Zeig on the shoulder and said ingratiatingly:
"Good big bro, can you please not worry about these little details?"
Zeig turned and saw it was Sampo.
"What are you doing here?" Zeig asked.
Sampo sighed:
"When I went back to the clinic, everyone was gone. After asking around, I learned something happened in the Great Mine, so I came to find you all."
Zeig nodded, pulled out a gun from his coat that was even longer and more terrifying than an AK, wiped the barrel, and asked:
"These vagrants are really shameless—did you hear what they just said?"
"I heard, I heard. As someone who runs a small business, I hate people like this the most—always trying to get something for nothing, and after getting it for free, they're not grateful at all. Instead, they act like they're the boss and point fingers at others." Sampo laughed.
He continued:
"The mining team has already been very good to them—giving food, drink, camps, and jobs. These people may be pitiable, but the mining team really doesn't owe them anything. They're just used to freeloading and think they're lords!"
Zeig nodded and asked:
"You going in? If not, I can just…"
In the distance, the vagrants with weapons closed in step by step on the miners.
Antonia said angrily:
"You—what do you think you're doing? I'm warning you, Wildfire is still nearby!"
The vagrants sneered disdainfully.
"Stop trying to scare us with Wildfire—they're busy playing with Svarog's big tin cans. Where would they find time for you? If you don't want extra holes in your body, hand over everything valuable!"
At the critical moment, a blue-haired guy hurriedly leaped out from the darkness, face pale, blocking the vagrants.
His smile looked extremely panicked.
From the darkness behind, an AWM was aimed at the vagrants.
"Ahem, uh, I advise you to quit while you're ahead! Otherwise, you won't even keep your little lives, you know?!" Sampo hurriedly warned.
"Who's this blue-hair?"
"I know him—he's super punchable!"
The miners behind Sampo were also stunned.
"Huh, Sampo? Why are you standing up for us?"
Sampo gave an awkward laugh and turned back:
"Haha, I'm doing it for their own good too—their words pissed off my good big bro."
"Blue-hair, mind your own business! Get lost!" a vagrant barked.
At that moment, a vagrant behind him tapped his shoulder and whispered:
"This blue-hair does business—he might be richer than these miners!"
"Really?" The man's eyes lit up.
He immediately aimed his weapon at Sampo:
"Hmph, looks like you're not leaving either. Even if the king of heaven came today, you'd still…"
"Uh, haha." Sampo forced a smile.
…
Three minutes later.
The vagrants lay sprawled on the ground, dazed and confused.
Sampo put away his weapon and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"Phew, thought they were something big."
The miners behind him were all shocked by Sampo's skills—though his moves were a bit flamboyant, he was genuinely strong.
Antonia, still shocked, thanked him: "We really owe you this time, Mr. Sampo."
"Hm?" Noticing his title upgrade from "Sampo" to "Mr. Sampo," the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl up.
"Hahaha, no problem, no problem—but thanks go to my good big bro. He insisted on riddling these guys with holes. If I hadn't stepped in, these vagrants would really be done for!"
"Good big bro?"
A figure emerged from the darkness.
Ink-black long hair, golden eyes gleaming in the dim environment, a long black coat that made him look even more imposing—he'd even put on boots.
Very stylish.
With his left hand pushing a wheelchair—an evil spirit knight bound to the seat with chains—and his right hand holding a lance, he smiled elegantly and calmly:
"Good brother, you can't slander me like that—how could I possibly be so cruel?"
Sampo looked at those golden eyes and couldn't help swallowing.
Just before he stepped out, Zeig hadn't been holding his usual AK—he'd had an AWM sniper rifle!
He'd planned to snipe the vagrants dead then revive them, tie their heads and feet to five minecarts facing different directions, dismember them and revive again, then… (3000 words omitted here…)
"Haha… y-yes, yes!" Sampo laughed sheepishly and gave a big thumbs-up:
"Big bro is the most merciful! Truly a person of great compassion!"
Zeig nodded in satisfaction and smiled kindly:
"Naturally! Haha…"
…