Chapter 37: Retaliation

"Aaron..." David murmured, his voice growing somber. "Charles, do you know where he is now?"

"I do," Charles replied after a moment's thought. "But Brown's men, over a hundred strong, are well-armed. They were the ones clashing with us downstairs just now."

"I see," said David. "Do you want to take over their territory?"

Charles's eyes lit up. "David, are you suggesting...?"

"How far are they from here?"

"They were on the east side of the Silverstream before, but I've heard they've crossed the river to our district. They should be about three to four kilometers away."

Three to four kilometers... perfect.

David's mouth curled into a slight smile. "Charles, if you surround them now, I assure you, there will be a surprise."

Charles was tempted. After witnessing David's capabilities, he thoroughly believed David was a savior, a god. If David promised a surprise, it surely would be one.

His only concern was attracting the military's attention, especially since they had just left.

But after less than five seconds of thought, Charles nodded decisively.

"I'll go myself. Those people dared to shoot at you, David. I won't let them off!"

"Rest assured," David said coldly, "they will suffer a terrible fate."

Charles nodded at David's words and headed downstairs to gather his men. David attached all three floating bombs to Charles, ready to have Charles carry them into Brown's territory.

Since his narrow escape from death, David had become vengeful.

If someone bit him, he would bite back twice as hard.

Aaron was different from the previous nasty neighbors; they were brutal but not a direct threat to David's life. But Aaron came with a sniper, whose bullets could penetrate David's windows, posing a life threat to David. He must be eliminated at all costs.

Unaware of Aaron's whereabouts, David decided to send Charles a significant gift.

Meanwhile, Charles hurried down from the building. Seeing Charles's smiling face, Jacob approached curiously. "What's the good news?" Ever since David provided them with instant noodles and food, his men had revered David as a deity.

Charles laughed heartily. "Jacob, weren't you just talking about dealing with Brown? The opportunity has come. David will help us!"

"David?!" Jacob's eyes widened before he too burst into laughter. "Those beasts will finally get what's coming to them!"

"Even if David doesn't intervene, I would have destroyed them!" Charles's eyes flashed with ruthlessness. "They dared to attack David!"

"What?!" Jacob exclaimed in anger. "They dared to attack David? Let's gather our brothers. It's time to act. Let's see if they have the strength to resist in the face of 'God'!"

"Right! I'm on it!" Jacob hurried downstairs.

...

"Did you hit him?!" Aaron asked impatiently.

"No," the sniper replied with a frown. "That guy's reaction was incredibly fast. Are you sure he's just an ordinary person?"

"Of course!" Aaron affirmed. "He definitely noticed me from that distance. He must be familiar with sniper rifles. His dodging and choice of cover were too professional. You're telling me he's just an ordinary person?"

Aaron spat on the ground in frustration. "Bad luck. This is Charles's territory; let's pull back for now."

As the sniper packed up his rifle, he commented, "Not being ordinary is actually more normal. According to our intelligence, this guy is indeed not simple."

"Let Charles take the lead," Aaron said as they hurried away. "But it seems Charles compromised in the end, or he hasn't managed to take down David yet."

"This just gives us an opportunity," the sniper smirked. "I heard his house is full of food."

"The most important thing is his house," Aaron said coldly. "You saw it, right? He was only wearing a sleeveless vest at home. He must have good stuff there. If Charles, that coward, doesn't have the guts or ability to break his door, then we will. The army has already been bribed; tomorrow, Charles will be arrested."

In disdain, Aaron continued, "In this world, we must continually expand our power. Charles had such an advantage but holed up in a small area, a waste of resources. If our boss had that much protective gear, we would have already taken over all of Emeraldon. Anyway, he won't last much longer."

They quickly left the building, heading towards their base - a large warehouse previously used for canned goods. They had taken it over amidst extreme conditions, fighting off others who sought the warehouse after the temperature rose.

Inside, Brown, a muscular man in his thirties, was struggling to scoop frozen meat from a can. A former martial arts gym owner, he was strong and fit. Seeing Aaron and the sniper return, he asked, "Failed?"

Aaron replied sheepishly, "Yeah, an unexpected turn. The kid reacted too fast."

"That dodging move," the sniper added gravely, "is not something you see outside of a battlefield."