Chapter 25: The Outbreak of War

At Ralph’s command, the officers wielding steam-powered rifles stepped forward to take control. For a moment, the laborers fell into chaos; they had initially assumed this was merely a skirmish between rival gangs. But now, it was clear that they were witnessing an insurrection. Some laborers began to retreat, while others were paralyzed by fear.

Just then, a voice rang out from behind the laborers: "Who gave you the authority to attack a gentleman’s property? Back away now, or I shall be forced to intervene."

Ryuji looked toward the source of the voice and saw two men approaching. One wore plain clothes and held a longsword; he did not look like a swordsman, but rather an ordinary man. The other was more flamboyant, dressed in a set of leather armor, wielding a scimitar, and laden with various weapons at his waist—clearly a mercenary accustomed to fighting in the wild.

Once the two had stepped forward, the swordsman took another step ahead. "Leave now. As long as you are willing to depart, I will vouch for you and guarantee your safety."

Ryuji knew it was time for him to step up. He moved forward. "I am the mortician for this district. I am here by mandate to deal with a Blood-Servant Master. Everyone, move aside, or I will treat you as the undead minions of a Blood-Servant Master and deal with you accordingly."

As transcendents, the swordsman and the mercenary naturally knew what a Blood-Servant Master was. The swordsman replied, "I came close to becoming a Player myself, so I know what a Blood-Servant Master is, but there is clearly no trace of one here."

"He’s just eyeing the money here and wants to stir up trouble for a payout," the mercenary added. "Name your price, and I’ll ensure the boss here agrees to it."

"I will say this again—this is the third time. Leave immediately, or I will commence an attack."

Ryuji’s words terrified the ordinary laborers, and some began to turn away. But the swordsman grew angry. "I said there is no Blood-Servant Master here, and there isn't! Do you not trust my word, or what?"

"I do not. I am the mortician, and dealing with Blood-Servant Masters is my duty. Move aside."

As he spoke, Ryuji raised his right hand. The skeleton archers embedded within his undead force drew their bows. Though these skeletons were nothing in the eyes of someone like Mand, they were more than enough to handle ordinary people. Even as the archers drew their bows, the men still did not believe Ryuji would dare to act recklessly. The swordsman said with disdain, "He wouldn't dare. If he acts recklessly, Lord Yebunir will not let him off. You must trust me; my relationship with Lord Bunir is..."

Before the swordsman could finish, Ryuji swept his right hand downward, and the skeleton archers released their arrows. Ryuji had only brought about twenty archers, so there was no rain of arrows, but once they fired, the Golden Skeleton and the Ritual Skeleton charged forward, weapons raised, into the ranks of the laborers.

This immediately sparked mass panic. The laborers never expected Ryuji to strike with lethal force. Seeing this, Ralph shouted, "Charge in! Arrest everyone!"

The officers, seeing that if they didn't intervene, Ryuji might kill all the laborers, rushed forward as well, hoping to give the men a chance to survive.

Ryuji’s assault infuriated the swordsman. Having guaranteed that Ryuji wouldn't dare strike, the action felt like a slap to his face. Enraged, the swordsman charged at Ryuji with his longsword, determined to save his reputation. However, the moment he moved, Widnina blocked his path, parrying his strike with four longswords.

Meanwhile, the mercenary also charged toward Ryuji. As a transcendent, he knew the nature of morticians; in the Southern Swamp plane, necromancers and death knights had distinct characteristics and weaknesses. Necromancers were not powerful combatants themselves; they relied on their undead minions. Thus, if the necromancer were taken out, the undead would be useless. The mercenary hesitated only briefly—after all, Ryuji was a legitimate mortician, and killing one in the city would lead to a life of being hunted. But thinking of his deal with Sean of the Black Armor, his hesitation vanished. He reached behind his back, drew a concealed hand crossbow, and skirted around the chaotic crowd, heading straight for Ryuji.

However, before he could take more than a few steps, a cluster of spider silk struck him from the front. The mercenary was not a true warrior by trade, but rather a hunter who relied on specific countermeasures. He lacked the raw power for a head-on collision. He could handle a dozen ordinary men, or even wipe out an entire unit in the right environment, but in a direct fight, he wasn't necessarily a match for the heavy hitters under Sean of the Black Armor.

He had intended to sneak up on Ryuji while the crowd was in disarray, but he had been spotted by a Fate-Weaving Spider. The silk hit him, and he realized exactly what kind of opponent he was facing. Having encountered giant spiders in the wild, he knew the danger of being bound by their webs. He immediately reacted, pulling out a substance akin to incendiary gel to burn the silk away, while shoving a nearby laborer toward the spider.

When the laborer was pushed forward, the Fate-Weaving Spider did not act on instinct; she simply spat a web to pin the man to the ground. Meanwhile, her six legs moved with terrifying speed, constantly blocking the mercenary’s path. It was clear she had received orders: her target was this mercenary.