Industrial Cthulhu, starting from the island lord

Chapter 641 Frey's Choice

Leo is a good thing; it can make the cunning loyal, the weak brave, and even change Frey's mind.

His hand suddenly lashed out, sweeping towards Leo in the girl's hand at a speed almost imperceptible to the naked eye. This was the Black Hand boss's signature move, and the origin of his nickname "Black Hand."

Human eyesight has its limits; if you're quick enough, even if you take it right in front of others, they won't notice.

The Mafia boss never taught this move to anyone. Frey learned it secretly on his own. He could always see things that others couldn't. Over time, he memorized the Mafia boss's movements and, with his own practice, he mastered the move.

Unfortunately, this move did not save the Black Hand boss's life. During the execution, the Black Hand boss reached for the bullet but failed to catch it—the bullet was too fast, and even he, the "Black Hand," was no match for it.

Frey's move had never failed before, but this time he missed.

The girl's movements were extremely swift; she clearly lacked any skill, yet she was ridiculously fast.

Frey was stunned, then exclaimed in a low voice, "A super-superhuman!"

The girl raised an eyebrow: "Why do you think I'm a superhuman?"

"The Black Hand boss said that only superhumans can dodge this 'Black Hand' attack. Oh, and there should still be bullets."

The girl smiled slightly: "You are clever, but unfortunately your skills are not very helpful to us. You can go now, we don't need to lead the way."

Frey's heart pounded. The girl didn't deny it, which meant she really was the legendary superhuman?

Unlike the White Ravens, people in the North have little opportunity to come into contact with superhumans; superhuman powers are more like stories and legends.

If she is a superhuman, then she also has members of the expeditionary force with her.
Frey swallowed hard, watching the group prepare to turn and leave. He gritted his teeth, stepped forward, and blocked their way: "My lord!"

The group turned to look at him, and Frey reluctantly rolled up his sleeves, letting a few Leo coins jingle as they fell.

"What are you"

"Sir, this is your Leo. He accidentally fell into my pocket."

"Is he trying to bribe you?" his companion said with amusement, but the girl who had just pulled out the Leo mask looked strange.

She touched the fanny pack inside her lining, then looked down at Leo on the ground.

Frey quickly bent down to pick up Leo, carefully wiped him clean with his sleeve, and presented him with both hands, cautiously asking, "Sir, I wonder if this can help you?"

“It’s mine. This little rascal just took it when I wasn’t looking. Hey, what’s your name?”

“Frey, my name is Frey, sir.”

"Frey, why didn't you take all the Leo coins from my bag? You only took a few?"

Frey's mouth went dry for a moment, the bloody hole in the forehead of the Mafia boss's corpse flashing before his eyes again, but Frey gritted his teeth and whispered:

"If there are too many, it will be noticed. If only a few are missing, most people will assume they lost them themselves."

After saying this, he gently closed his eyes and quietly awaited the judgment of fate.

These men all looked like important figures in the expeditionary force, and this might be his only chance in his life. The Black Hand boss was the undisputed leader of the entire district, and with his exceptional skills, he was a well-known figure in White Stone Castle.

But such a person cannot be stopped by a single bullet.

When the expeditionary force attacked the city, bullets rained down on the castle, shattering the solid bricks into dust. Frey stared blankly at the scene, feeling as if something in his heart had also been shattered into dust, while others quietly took root and sprouted.

For the first time, he wanted to leave White Stone Castle, to see the outside world, to see where the expeditionary force came from, and what their side was like.

It's strange, he gets nervous and fearful before he speaks, but once he hands it to Leo, he feels calm.

The girl and her companions exchanged glances, then turned to Frey: "Would you like to come with us to the Rhine? To tell you the truth, this trip is very dangerous. Even we might lose our lives, let alone you."

"If I go with you, will I never have to return to White Stone Castle? Will I be able to go to more places, see bigger cities, and see more people?"

“Of course, I will take you on a train journey through the entire Duchy of Tiss, to the city of miracles in the south, to that island forged from steel in the depths of the sea, to see the enormous monster imprisoned in the furnace.”

Frey bit his lip, his heart pounding uncontrollably. He had seen those swindlers who cheated people out of their money, and those who fell for their tricks were like fish eager to bite the hook, completely at their mercy.

He felt like he was a fish too.

"I...I'm willing, my lord. Whatever that empire may hold, I'm willing to give it all, as long as I can leave this place with you and see the other side of that Wall of Despair, even if it means dying there."

Frey looked back at the old streets of Whitestone Castle. If he stayed here, he might become another mafia boss, with a group of henchmen decades later, and a bullet waiting for him.

Even if he dies on the road now, it's just that the bullets from decades later have arrived early. He has already witnessed the life of the mafia boss, and he doesn't want to relive it.

That's so boring.

The girl raised an eyebrow in surprise and smiled. "My name is Zoe, this is Gaia, and this is Erwin. We're planning a trip to the Empire. We're from Castel. Do you know Castel?"

Frey nodded, then shook his head: "I've heard the name, but I don't know much about it. The adults in those expeditionary forces withdrew after they conquered this place, leaving only a few people to maintain order."

“The development priority here is relatively low, after all, it’s too remote. But it’s only a matter of time. Alexei’s large-scale development of the North has already begun, and perhaps in a few years, this place will be different.”

“That’s for the future. I’m not going to sit here and wait for good things to come to me.” Frey shook his head. “Lady Zoe, is there anything I can do for you?”

“We need someone who can infiltrate the Empire. You’re young and have the appearance of an Empire citizen, so you’re inconspicuous enough. As long as you’re careful enough, nothing will happen to you.” The man next to him suddenly spoke up. He looked Frey up and down carefully for a few moments and then nodded.

"Don't worry, we have quite a few informants in the Empire. It's just that the organization may have encountered some unexpected problems recently, so we're just doing this as a precaution."

"I understand the requirements of the gentlemen, and they should not be difficult. However, I have one more question."

"You said."

"There is no longer a path to the Empire. How do you plan to cross the Wall of Despair? With supernatural power?"

Zoe and Gaia exchanged a glance and gave each other a strange smile.

"Want to see it?"

(End of this chapter)