Chapter 142

Chapter 142: Control

In the upper part of Igewent, on Knight Road.

During the night, shadows enveloped the upscale residential area, with street lamps casting an orange glow over the streets. The surroundings were quiet, only the gentle breeze rustling through the empty streets and brushing past the treetops and flower beds.

“Ahh…”

Inside the house opposite number 26, Gregor, leaning on the sofa, yawned loudly, then gazed at the house across the street where the lights had been turned off and everyone was asleep. He sighed deeply.

“Ah… There’s nothing happening tonight either. Is Mr. James being overly cautious…” Gregor mused, glancing occasionally at the ticking grandfather clock, calculating when he could finish his shift and go home.

Just then, Gregor’s eyes suddenly narrowed as he focused his gaze out the window. He looked toward the quiet and dark end of the street, where there seemed to be a group of agitated shadows.

“Heh… Looks like something’s finally happening.”

…

At one end of Knight Road, in the shadows of buildings that the light couldn’t reach, gathered about ten figures. They were all men dressed in various worn-out clothes, each stained with obvious dirt and dust. Their faces were grim, and some bore visible scars on their bodies and hands.

Each of these men held different weapons—clubs, machetes, rebar, hammers—and they looked quite casual and cheap. Only two or three carried pistols, which appeared to be homemade pipe guns.

These were local gang members from Igewent. Today, they had gathered here for a hefty reward, ready to pull off a big job.

“Listen up, our plan is simple. In a moment, we’ll head to number 26, break down the doors and windows, then go inside and start killing. From bottom to top, no one should be left alive, especially a girl around ten years old. She’s the key; we must k*ll her to complete our mission!

“Then, we’ll all head straight to the flooded dock. Our benefactor will give us the reward there. We’ll take a boat and leave Igewent via the Iron Mud River, and live freely ever after. Got it?”

Among the crowd, a man in a tattered suit, holding a homemade pipe g*n, with a scar on his face, earnestly instructed his subordinates. His followers responded noisily.

“Yes, let’s get started right away!”

“Hurry up, hurry up! I don’t want to stay in this ghost town anymore!”

The gang members talked among themselves, all eager and ready to fight. Seeing this, the leader nodded and gave his final instructions.

“Alright, let’s move. There might be a few bodyguards in that house, but don’t worry. We have more people and weapons. Together, we can take them down!

“Remember, quick and decisive. Don’t wait for the police. Let’s go!”

With that, the leader waved his hand, signaling the group to step out of the shadows and onto the street.

They quickly approached number 26 and, after looking at the tightly closed door, the leader spoke.

“Barry, get ready!”

He called for Barry, the strongest member with a heavy hammer, to smash the door. But after calling twice, no one came forward. Frustrated, the leader roared.

“Barry! Stop dawdling! Get moving!”

“Boss… behind… behind…”

A weak voice replied. Hearing this, the leader impatiently turned around.

“Behind, behind… What could be behind them?”

The leader turned back and saw five figures in black uniforms standing about four or five meters behind them, each holding a rifle aimed at the crowd at number 26. Their eyes were cold behind iron masks.

“What? Guns? Five rifles? Are these the bodyguards of this house? The employer didn’t mention such firepower…”

The leader thought in shock, seeing the scene before him. At that moment, the door of number 26 opened, and several black-clad men wielding firearms emerged, surrounding the gang members. Seeing this, the gangsters immediately huddled together.

Though the gangsters still outnumbered the black-clad men ten to eight, the latter’s superior weapons made the difference. Each carried standard-issue rifles, far better than the gangsters’ makeshift weapons. Facing the barrels pointed at them, the gangsters, used to close combat, could not help but feel intimidated.

“d*mn! Even the police don’t have such good equipment! What kind of trap did we walk into?! Didn’t you say there were just a few ordinary bodyguards?”

The leader thought angrily, if the informant who provided the intelligence were present, he would have stabbed him on the spot.

“Drop your weapons, raise your hands, and kneel down. Confess everything, or you will be killed on the spot.”

Facing the gang members, the hunters said sternly. Hearing the order and seeing the black barrels, the gangsters’ fighting spirit quickly faded.

…

At this moment, on both sides of Knight Road, from a window on the fourth floor of a building, a figure silently watched the standoff below. When he saw the gangsters lose their resolve under the hunters’ encirclement, he whispered softly.

“Now is not the time to retreat… Pawns, let me give you some courage…”

Muttering, Godfrey began rhythmically tapping a hollow bone artifact engraved with mysterious patterns. Instantly, invisible spirits began emerging from the artifact, appearing before Godfrey.

There were five spirits in total, male and female, young and old. Their eyes were vacant, their bodies thin and transparent, with a slight chill.

Holding the bone artifact, Godfrey waved his hand toward the standoff below, and the spirits floated toward the scene, disappearing into the air.

…

On the streets of Knight Road, facing the immense pressure from the hunters, the leader finally couldn’t hold on any longer.

“Brothers, which path are you on? There must be a misunderstanding between us. Don’t rush, we’ll put down our weapons now.”

Smiling apologetically, the leader prepared to place his homemade pipe g*n on the ground. His subordinates followed suit. Seeing this, the hunters slightly relaxed their guard.

At that moment, a barely perceptible cold wind swept through the air above the standoff. Five invisible spirits rode the wind and rushed toward the leader, who immediately felt his body become unresponsive.

“This… this…”

With a shocked expression, the leader, controlled by the numerous spirits within him, tightened his grip on the pistol and stood up abruptly, firing at the hunter in front of him. After a loud gunshot, the hunter fell to the ground, wounded in the abdomen.

“Fire!”

Faced with the sudden betrayal, the hunters immediately raised their guns to retaliate against the bewildered gangsters. However, the spirits that had been hovering over the leader rushed out simultaneously, swiftly entering the bodies of five hunters.

Then… the five hunters felt their movements becoming sluggish, their hands trembling uncontrollably, severely affecting their aim. As a result, they missed their targets.

“Bang bang bang!!”

After the hunters fired, most of them missed due to the spirits disrupting their actions. Only two gangsters were hit and fell to the ground, but this attack enraged those who were initially ready to surrender.

“They’re leaving us no way out! Brothers, fight back!”

Following a leading shout, the gangsters picked up their weapons and charged at the surrounding hunters.