The Open-Chested Long-Sleeved man froze at the sight of splattered blood.

If this were a street brawl, he'd simply wipe the blood from his face and continue swinging his blade.

But what was happening now? This was just routine debt collection.

Every month, people who couldn't repay their debts were taken away as 'long-term laborers'—essentially slaves.

This was an open secret everyone knew, and he had grown accustomed to it. Otherwise, he wouldn't have shouted it so openly on the streets earlier.

"Are you insane? This requires silencing witnesses?" The Open-Chested Long-Sleeved man stared in disbelief, only to be knocked to the ground in the next instant.

The underling who had stabbed someone now turned with fierce determination, charging directly toward Naimes.

Fear shone in his eyes, and beneath his skin, extremely fine threads seemed to swirl before vanishing.

"Daring to attack a holy knight!" Naimes drew his sword and executed the man with a single stroke.

Then, Naimes pointed his blood-dripping blade at another terrified gang member nearby.

Not all gang members were fearless or willing to face death.

Moreover, under Naimes' imposing aura, their fear intensified dramatically.

"Speak. Who are you people, and who backs you?"

At this moment, the Open-Chested Long-Sleeved man lying on the ground suddenly understood—this was targeting their gang. They had walked right into a trap.

"Don't say anything..."

"We're Black Vipers!" The attempts to stop and the confession rang out simultaneously.

"Black Vipers, is it?" Naimes revealed a smile.

-----------------

"Word from Adno suggests Naer should arrive at Wavetail Town soon." Meanwhile, in a castle within Wavetail Town's northern district, a messenger arrived hurriedly on horseback. After having the guards announce him, he quickly entered a training chamber within the fortress to report the intelligence just received from the church. ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ NoveIＦire.net

Naimes had naturally obtained his transfer orders, meaning corresponding grid notifications would inevitably follow.

"When did this happen?" The speaker stood chest-deep in a spring, taking deep breaths while slowly walking through the water. He had brown-black hair and wore only thin undergarments and shorts, his muscular physique evident despite the slight wrinkles on his face.

"By the time we received the news, he had already been traveling for about three hours. If Naer moves quickly, he should be landing soon."

"Our connections aren't what they used to be. Otherwise, we'd have known the moment he departed... Still, it's good he chose Wavetail Town." The man slowly ceased his movements and nodded.

"Immediately dispatch members from Black Vipers and White-Tailed Foxes. I want his every move monitored."

"Then we'll gradually set up the board, making every step in Wavetail Town difficult for him."

"A stray dog only appreciates home after tasting hardship."

"Exactly right. When children quarrel and lack understanding, they need to learn their lesson." The intelligence messenger, named Daros Dartmanley, immediately agreed before turning to leave.

Daros knew that although the family head appeared calm during his training, normally no one disturbed the patriarch's cultivation sessions.

Yet this time, he had been received mid-practice.

This indicated the family head truly valued Naer's presence, meaning his instructions needed immediate execution.

Daros mounted his horse once more and headed toward the southern district.

Wavetail Town divided into northern and southern districts, corresponding to the two whale tail sections.

The northern district primarily housed nobles, wealthy merchants, and people of status.

The southern district hosted numerous gangs and various commercial organizations.

It also contained vast numbers of impoverished residents struggling to survive.

The entire back of the Biqing whale supported approximately 1.7 million people.

Wavetail Town officially registered 500,000 residents, but countless more unregistered individuals hid in the shadows.

Though called a town, it functioned as a city.

Black Vipers, White-Tailed Foxes, and similar groups were gangs the Dartmanley family had cultivated over recent years.

These organizations centered around individuals named "Black Viper" and "White-Tailed Fox," both possessing considerable strength. They typically operated gambling dens, brothels, and similar establishments to generate income.

They also handled unsavory tasks for certain nobles.

Daros changed his attire midway, as associating with gangs would disgrace the family name and required some concealment.

Yet upon arriving at Black Vipers' headquarters, he immediately sensed something wrong—the scent of blood hung thick in the air.

"Could someone truly dare disrespect the Dartmanley family?" When the family first arrived in Wavetail Town, surrounding forces naturally tested them.

They wanted to see if this noble family had fallen too far to protect their wealth.

Thus, the Dartmanley family promptly cultivated Black Viper and White-Tailed Fox. After several conflicts, they established their position and gradually solidified their influence.

Although they had retreated from Breathspring City, where other nobles took advantage of their misfortune to seize family interests...

That was in Breathspring City.

While Wavetail Town matched Breathspring City in scale and possibly exceeded it in population...

To Breathspring City, this place remained the countryside.

These people's awareness and methods lagged behind Breathspring City's standards.

Truly valuable items rarely circulated in Wavetail Town.

Most eventually flowed toward Breathspring City.

Most importantly, Wavetail Town officially had no Gold Seeds.

Therefore, the Dartmanley family felt confident they could protect most people in Wavetail Town.

Yet today, some blind fool dared cause trouble in their territory...

A black figure flew from the room, crashing heavily onto the ground.

Though the figure's face was blurred and deformed from the impact, the clothing identified him as Black Viper.

Daros immediately drew his weapon, preparing to face the enemy.

The next moment, his eyes narrowed as he recognized the person emerging from the room.

"Naer..."

"Drawing your weapon against me—are you an enemy too?" As Naimes' voice fell, he already stood before Daros.

Instinctively, Daros swung his sword toward Naimes, though midway he shifted from a slash to a flat strike.

No matter what, he couldn't kill Naer...

This thought barely formed when he realized Naimes had caught his blade bare-handed.

"Impossible! Your strength is wrong...!!!" As one of the few Steel Seeds within the Dartmanley family, Daros had advanced through family resources but still trained diligently, reaching a numerical value around twenty-three.

At this level, any significant movement without restraint could easily claim lives.

When he crashed into rocks or trees, the natural materials broke, not him.

The term "Steel Seed" originated because beings at this level surpassed most natural materials—their refined ordinary bodies became equivalent to steel.

"People can improve!" As Naimes spoke, he steadily pushed the captured blade toward Daros' throat.