Chapter 54- A bloody solution
Looking coldly at them, while his eyes turned to shine a bit with dark-red color, he only said. "Then you leave me with only one option."
Ending saying that a large blood spike exited from his forehead, hitting what could seem the syndicate group leader right in his head.
The drunkard stumbled some steps back before dropping down as if he became a rotten log.
Then suddenly, the other remaining syndicate members, when seeing their leader being taken down, even if they were under the influence of the substances and alcohol they took, began shooting relentlessly at Vlad while also cursing him.
His heart started beating and pumping blood a lot faster. His abilities, especially speed and reflexes got enhanced by [Blood Enhancement]. He quickly dodged right and left some of the bullets that seemed not to be in Roberts and Aerius range.
Then when some of the bullets that he could easily dodge moved in the direction of Robert, who was fleeing towards a safer distance, he summoned a small piece of plate armour shielding the exact spot the bullet would touch in his body. The sound of the blood being deflected got heard. This process happened for a bit until Robert and Aerius were at close distance.
Everything being sorted out for him, he began dodging the bullets and blocking some that he missed when dodging while using pieces of blood armour.
After dodging them, he summoned a small blood pellet that later he condensed and shot towards one of the four syndicate members' hearts.
The one to die from the [Blood Projectile] in this conflict didn't even manage to see what killed him clearly. The rest of the group didn't bother with stopping their bullet storm, which didn't manage to make a single dent in the pieces of armour he summoned on his body. Vlad's irises began shining, now more red than the balanced dark-red it was in the beginning.
Yet this didn't affect him at all. He actually felt excellent when using the blood energies. He also felt a freezing sensation on his hands and chest that were clear signs of the dark energy working in synchrony with the blood energies.
Like this, he dodged the storm of bullets that felt in Vlad's enhanced senses as ordinary thrown stones coming in his direction.
Finally, after an intense storm of bullets which only served to be some intensity training for Vlad, he got in hand reach towards one of the shooters. Pushing more blood towards his arms, he caught one man by the throat and rapidly crashed his neck bone.
Two more were left standing there with a shocked face. But clearly, their minds were clouded by anger and other harmful emotions while Vlad was calmly and coldly dispatched them in one second's time.
There were some changes to Vlad's white skin, but not something comparable to when he fought with Belpel. Looking at the firearm dropped on the ground, he picked it and turned to stare coldly at the remaining two men who had angry complexions. The men tried their best to refill their firearms. Vlad didn't bother much as to let the men even a breath moment to recharge their guns. With the firearm picked from the ground, he rushed at a fast speed towards them. Using the gun as a stick to beat the men, he started his assault while the group panicked.
In no time, Vlad disposed of 1 guy by smashing the gun at the back of his head and later stepping with his foot on top of his head, crushing his head as if it was a watermelon.
Later he turned to look at the remaining one, that was readying to shoot at Vlad with trembling arms and feet. Screaming in anger and despair from the top of his lungs, he fired a series of bullets he managed to refill, but all that he did was in vain. Vlad didn't bother himself to use the [Blood Amour], instead opting for the most energy-efficient method of dodging the bullets.
Quickly, in no time, he reached the man cursing him from all his breath. He grabbed him by the throat and twisted his head.
"Ahh, much better. Total silence, what I like the most. I taxed my body a bit while dealing with those bugs, but it was proper training. My blood powers improved after that fight with Belpel. The summoning and intensity also changed a lot."
"Even the dark energy in my body seems to be in control. Hmm, at least for now."
The silence installed itself at the periphery of this zone, but for how long it was unknown. The commotion that happened here could wake others to search around. Vlad looked at where Robert and Aerius choose to hide.
It was by the sides of some collapsed building. Seeing them sticking their heads to see what was the conclusion, Vlad said to those brats with a calm tone.
"We should move along, don't bother with the corpses. No one saw us doing anything. We'll move forward to see where this junkyard is and find something to sell and get myself something to eat."
When Robert arrived close to Vlad, he turned to look at the mess on the ground. He could even see some weird stuff, such as brains splashed on the ground. He thought in his head after seeing all of this.
'Damn, what was that all about. Did he manage to kill those guys in that short amount of time? That's really crazy. He even dodged all those bullets like he was stopping time.'
Meanwhile, Aerius jumped on Vlad's shoulder and, while looking at his slightly weakened self, only said. "Sorry, Vlad, if it weren't me sticking out too much, maybe you would be forced into another conflict."
Vlad turned his calm face towards the little gryphon and said to him. "I don't think so. Those guys were under the influence of substances, such as the ones from the Chaotic Zone. I doubt that they would even leave me alone. The same thing would happen, so I don't care. I'll kill as many as they come at me. It's not like I mind washing this place of dirt earlier than what I expected."
Then with that said, the group of three left the bloody scene. Soon after Vlad and Robert left the crime scene, a group of ten people rushing with guns in their hands and menacing-looking expressions arrived at the crime scene. Seeing the gruesome way the men were killed, especially at the guy missing his heads and the one with a sizeable spike-like incision in his head and with brain matter all over the place, become the sight that would make some even puke a bit.
A long-limbed guy looking like a stork, with a wiry body and brown eyes, as well with a scarf around his neck, which also missed his left eye, started breathing hard in anger. The guy screamed around in anger, "Who the hell has the gull to attack Leviathans? This is blatantly a war declaration. Argh, don't you let yourself get caught by us because you'll die a cruel death! I swear this on my name as Paldot, leader of Leviathan Syndicate. You'll not have a happy ending piece of shit that did this to my man."
Meanwhile, as the guy cursing Vlad said all of these things, Vlad only felt itchiness around his ears, making him think. 'It's someone already cursing me? Hehe, that's fast, glad I made it out. Otherwise, others would join those fuckers."
Back to the blood scene, someone came beside the screaming man and tried to call him down. "Boss, do you think that the other gangs allied themselves and are preparing for war against us?"
"Hmm, the two old foxes? You know that we three never liked each other, Leviathans, Behemoths, and Gargoyle. Those two would rather fuck their daughters than cooperate against us. But it's not improbable. Chaos started spreading even towards the royal palace. I heard from a friend that the old king got missing, and the council of the nobles is asking the syndicates to be on the watch against any information with regards to that old geezer."
"Really? The old king went missing? But what about the throne? Who would rule in his place if he went missing?" asked Paldot right's hand with a pondering expression.
"Like hell that I know. Probably some mighty duke or a noble council for all I care. What I care now is to find who the fuck messed with me killing five good men! He even stole one gun. Go look for him. You'll find me at the base for any news concerning this incident."
"Got it, boss, take care of yourself." bide farewell the right hand to his boss, later turning to the rest of the men yelling at them. "Did you hear that? We need to find the guy crazy enough to mess with us Leviathans. Search this entire zone if you need to, stop anyone you find suspicious, just find the damn culprit."
Vlad's killing started a commotion inside the forgotten district, a conflict that will haunt the three gangs for a while.
As for Vlad, Robert and Aerius, they finally found the junkyard and were surprised to see many metal parts junk. Robert also got excited that they finally found the junkyard. He wasn't affected by Vlad's kills since he was used to seeing him doing this when they escaped the mining camp.
He felt respect and fear at the same time when seeing Vlad kill others in a cold indifference like he was stepping on bugs. But he knew that what he did was something that was necessary for their survival and especially to protect them from possible dangers lurking in shadows.
Staring at the junkyard, Robert later heard Vlad say in annoyance. "How am I supposed to find something in this entire mess. Aerius, you lazy boomer, go sniff and try finding some gold garbage. What we sell from that will be split. You'll get mostly food. Also, I'll not care about what you'll do with the money you'll ask me for.
"Damn, you make it sound so nice. But have you ever smelled this place? It's disgusting. Do you want me, a noble being, to search in this trash?"
"And I am not a noble being, prince of Kaysang, the future king of Atlas? You're talking too much. Get down to work already." Ended Vlad saying while grabbing Aerius from Robert's shoulders.
The little gryphon tried his best to hang and grab Robert's shoulders, but even Robert betrayed him, helping Vlad grab him.
"NOOO! Robert, you traitor, I thought of you as my brother."
"No hard feelings, but even feelings have to be fed by something. We need money to get food, good food," added Robert to Aerius while chuckling a bit.
Then Vlad threw Aerius in the garbage. Seeing Robert chuckle, he turned to him and said calmly.
"Robert, you go first, too. Maybe you're luckier than even Aerius or me and step on some crap. I mean it literally. It's for luck."
"Damn, screw you. I'm not stepping on any shit. You're delusional if you think I'll go first." replied Robert, a bit annoyed when Vlad told him to go in first in the trash.
"Oh, you got the gall to fight back. I'll see you swim in this garbage little fuck." said Vlad that with a mocking tone in his voice as he grabbed Robert by the hand and tossing him in the trash, making the young boy dive literally in the garbage.
Seconds later, Robert's head popped out and cursed Vlad, a bit annoyed. "Fuck you, did you really have to toss me like this? Ugh, it smells so disgusting. I'll remember this you arrogant fuck. Ohh, shit, I touched something with my feet. It feels to be some metal part."
Aerius, who also searched in the garbage, laughed like a madman, saying to Robert. "See betrayer. It's not like you'll escape from his grasps. He turned us into scavengers."
Vlad only snorted and also dived in the trash and landed close to Robert, saying chuckling. "The fuck are you arguing about, you idiots? See, I also entered into this mess. Now stop chit-chatting, and let's get down to business. I have a stomach to feed."
Like this, the junk hunt started for Robert, Aerius, and Vlad. Time passed, and the disgust the two had for the junkyard began fading. At one point, after an hour spent in the trash and getting used to the smell, Robert even cracked some jokes that made Vlad smile a bit at his foolishness.
Along the way, he also noticed armed men rushing around the junkyard, but they didn't bother with Robert and Vlad that were all their bodies covered in trash. Meanwhile, Aerius, by the time those syndicate members passed, was diving in the trash, literally. Vlad's eyes turned a bit cold when seeing them, but his face remained calm looking.
Time passed in the junkyard, and Robert and Vlad made some remarkable discoveries along their day. Robert managed to find some firearms and some parts of chainmail. While Vlad got on his hands a lot of cloth materials that were still intact, he even got his hands on a piece of silk.
The one that hit it big was Aerius, who, as Vlad intended to happen, found gold jewelry, making Vlad a bit surprised, while for Robert to stare in shock.
"This scavenger cat actually struck gold. We should let him continue searching for more."
"Fuck you, Robert. This is not funny at all. My delicate and beautiful fur smell like shit. Argh, I need money for good food."
As the three prepared to end their little treasure hunt, as Vlad was exiting from the junk, his feet touched something that gave him a cut on his feet.
"Argh, did I cut myself on some glass? Damn, I hope I'm not getting an infection. Ah, wait, I'm a Blood Human. I'm no longer affected by those blood diseases. Now, let's see what cut me." As he ended saying that, he stooped and started touching with his hands the stop, he touched with his feet. He even got his hands cut, gripping his hand on what he felt. He fished out what could be said to have brought him two.
Robert and Aerius stopped from what they were doing and stared with curiosity at him as he jolted in pain.
Seeing him stooped and searching with his hands something and hearing another small cry of pain, the two began laughing at his bad luck. Their laugh lasted until Vlad fished out the culprit of his cries.
A claymore that looked rusted, yet the hilt looked to be in an unusual shape. It had the form of a large sunburst pattern with a big dark gem inside the center of the sunburst hilt that lost its luster.
"So this is the culprit. Hmm, a rusted sword that seems a garbage work, yet it has such a beautiful gem attached to it."
As Vlad looked at the sword, he turned to loom at Aerius and asked him. "Hey, little guy, have you ever seen this sword before? It seems ancient. Maybe you got some ideas."
Hearing Vlad asking this, Aerius began moving toward him and the sword, and after looking a bit at the sword, he said to him. "I have no memories of such sword. Sorry, no idea."
"Well, it is fine. It doesn't matter now what her past is. This beauty got in my hands. It's more fitting I treat the future sword of a king with respect and treat her wounds.
"Right, I also have to give her a name. Any ideas, guys?"
Robert only said to Vlad. "It's your sword. You name it as you wish. I don't care."
Aerius had the same idea as Robert, not wishing to butt his head in Vlad's business.
"Fine, I'll name her myself." With a grip on the sword hilt, he said in a confident manner.
"You shall be known starting from now in this world as Nemesis. Shall it be that your great name is feared by any of my enemies."
Hearing that weird name for a sword, Aerius and Robert looked confused and asked him. "What does the name mean, Vlad? It's just a random name, or do you have something deeper in your mind?"
"Ohh, it feels weird? That name is of the Goddess of Retribution. In a sense, she will bring justice and retribution to this world."
"Haha, you're really weird. It's not like this sword has a life. So why bother yourself with such grand names that follow Gods." Began Aerius laughing at Vlad's bad naming sense.
Yet as Vlad was gripping Nemesis, he felt a jolt in his hand, followed by a freezing feeling running in his hand, as if the sword actually sensed what Vlad intended.
'Could it be that even this sword is something weird that I picked up, just like this little gryphon? Sigh, I'll bother myself at another time. If this sword actually had something weird inside, it might be a nice surprise for me. Haha, but it will make me look even crazier, talking to a sword.'
Shorting out his thoughts, he turned away from the sword while placing gently on the side of his body. This time his upper body was covered by a silk shirt, Aerius found in the junk. Aside from the dirt stains it had, the material was top-quality.
"Okay, guys, we got our hands on some valuable stuff, now we need to find some places that will buy our stuff, especially the jewelry. First, let's see if we can find an arms store to sell one of the firearms we got in our hands, the one you Robert found and the one I took from the dead guy.
