abnormal mutation

Chapter 121 High-level hunters often...

A bow and a cloak, one for ranged attacks and one for melee combat—these are things that would never be found on a single hero in a game, but they are a perfect match for Roland.

He picked up the longbow and examined it closely.

The bow is purplish-red in color and has a striking design. When you pull the bowstring, the force is just right to match your strength, neither too soft nor too hard, allowing you to exert all your power without expending too much energy.

As the bowstring was drawn, a purplish-red arrow silently appeared. At the same time, Roland lost a tiny amount of blood, almost imperceptible.

He slowly released the bowstring, and the arrows scattered, but the lost lives could not be recovered.

"feel good."

The next second, the longbow disappeared, and a small bow and arrow pattern appeared on the back of his left hand. It was so faint that it was almost invisible unless you looked closely.

There are many kinds of magical items, but most cannot be integrated into the body; they only take effect when carried on the body or even bound to the soul. However, the equipment produced by the chessboard is different; it can be hidden into the soul at any time, and the quantity varies from person to person.

Although they also have negative effects, they only apply to outsiders. Roland and Yizi are exempt, so it's no exaggeration to say they are tailor-made for them.

The Sunfire Cloak is very ornate, woven from unidentified golden threads, and has a high-quality feel. It is embroidered with a large pattern, and the vest is directly opposite the golden sun, with interwoven magic patterns and blazing golden flames.

'Can I wear this out?'

You'd think he had some connection with the Lord of Order if you didn't know better.

Donning the cloak and hood, he immediately understood the uses of Sunfire and Sacrifice, with Sacrifice being enabled by default.

As the sacrifice ended, the cloak instantly dimmed, the blazing sun and magic patterns disappeared, the style remained the same, but the dark gold color was much simpler, just a little more luxurious, at least not flashy.

He left the spirit world, walked to the window wearing a cloak, and the afterglow of the setting sun shone on the golden patterns, making the cloak appear even darker.

'It feels like it's absorbing light; wearing this out will be fine.'

Because of the convenience of "entering the unknown," he frequently travels to various places, but he is always naked. If a battle breaks out or someone discovers that he is invisible, it would be too embarrassing.

Both pieces of equipment were very useful and solved his immediate problem. However, the desired mutation hadn't arrived, and the Rune Seed was empty and desperately needed nourishment.

'Go and beg for alms.'

He took a step and abruptly disappeared from the hotel. A dozen seconds later, he quietly reappeared outside the black market old man's shop in stealth mode.

The black market is located in an underground river cave, and it always looks like a night with lights twinkling around it, which is somewhat oppressive.

The old man's shop door was broken open, and the ground was a mess with bloodstains, indicating that something had happened.

He could sense the young man's vital signs; they were very stable. If he were to die, he would definitely be able to sense it immediately.

Stepping into the backyard, a messy and broken scene came into view.

Four men surrounded the old man and his grandson at the bottom of the doorway. The old man was spitting blood from his mouth and nose and was sitting half-sitting on the ground. The young man held a long sword and a round shield, standing in a bow stance to defend his grandfather, his eyes wide with anger and his expression resolute.

"If our distinguished guests cannot find us, they will certainly not let you go," the old man spat out a mouthful of foul blood and said viciously.

"Who knows? Maybe they'll think you've run away with the donation. Hand over the money; destroying it will only anger me," the middle-aged man in the lead, wearing a black cloak, said in a high-pitched voice.

"Fighting is forbidden in the black market, you can't escape." The old man put one hand in his pocket, trying to buy time and hoping that the night owls from the black market would arrive soon.

"Don't be naive. If the night watchman wanted to intervene, he would have shown up already." The middle-aged man wasn't in a hurry.

He knew that the four middle-ranking individuals were not on the black market. Today, he had pulled some strings and planned to make a quick buck and leave. No one would chase them for thousands of miles for a few dead bodies; even law enforcement officers weren't that dedicated.

The old man's fierceness crumbled immediately, and his face was filled with despair.

"drink--"

Unable to contain himself, the young man suddenly charged forward, a red light emanating from his body. He braced his left shoulder against a shield, his longsword at his side, ready to strike.

The middle-aged man raised his right hand to meet the attack; it was wrapped with rings of black chains.

With a loud bang, spiritual energy surged, the shield shattered, and the fragments flew out. The young man was knocked to the ground, thrown heavily, and lay there in pain, unable to get up for a long time.

The middle-aged man took a step back, shaking his numb and engorged arm, his eyes showing surprise, but his tone was harsh:
"Ha, another old-fashioned knightly route. The Northerners are such stubborn old men."

He subtly winked at his subordinates, signaling them to seize the opportunity to deal with the old man and prevent him from actually ruining the money. This money wasn't entirely his; without sufficient "tribute," he might not be able to leave.

"Kill...uh..."

A giant hand reached out from the void, grabbed his neck, and golden flames spread upwards, instantly turning his cloak to ashes.

"Huh?" Roland's expression shifted slightly upon seeing his face, as if he had seen him somewhere before. After a moment's recollection, a group of dejected people came to mind.

"Wald Merchant Guild guards? No wonder."

It's not surprising that Wald, with the influence of the Thistle Merchant Guild, knows people from the Thistle Merchant Guild on the black market. It's unexpected they were released; presumably, these people are unwilling to leave in disgrace and want to make a quick buck before running away again.

"Woo..."

The middle-aged man's eyes were filled with despair as he struggled desperately, but his body was limp and he couldn't utter a single word. His pride and strength were of no use whatsoever.

A scorching power surged into his body through the iron-like pincers, burning his flesh, internal organs, soul, and spirit to ashes from the inside out.

To others, the middle-aged man offered no resistance whatsoever. His body glowed red and bright. A few seconds later, a large amount of golden flames erupted from his face and pores, instantly turning his flesh and blood into ashes that scattered with the wind without a trace.

Roland smiled faintly. Sunfire was indeed very useful, but it almost depleted all of his Sunfire in one go and burned away the extraordinary trait of Sequence 8. It was a bit of a loss.

The others were horrified; a Sequence 8 Extraordinary from the Sinful Path appeared so vulnerable.

The three men in black who had pretended to "rescue" their boss froze, then turned and ran. They hadn't expected their boss to be in trouble; their "rescue" was merely a show of loyalty, and they never imagined it would almost cost them their lives.

"boom--"

A majestic knight riding an iron horse leaped several meters into the air, piercing the chest of the fugitive with a spear in mid-air, before crashing down into the courtyard.

Mud and gravel flew everywhere, and four large pits appeared on the ground in a radial pattern, with the iron hoof sinking half a foot into them.

Everyone looked up and saw the iron horse, gleaming with an eerie light, its grotesque shape and hollow interior, truly made of steel. A valiant female knight sat on it, her enormous lance appearing like a toy as she casually tossed a corpse into the air.

Iron-Blooded Conqueror, level +1.

With a thud, Charles casually tossed the corpse aside and said coldly, "I'll give you a chance to live."

As the two men in black robes hesitated in panic, Drake stood in the doorway, wielding two axes.

Upon seeing this, they immediately dropped their weapons and stood obediently in place, not daring to move an inch.

Drake stepped forward and kicked them to the ground, then picked up the black chains left behind by the middle-aged man and bound them tightly.

"Thank you, sir, for saving my life!" The old man was stunned for a moment, then pulled his grandson to kneel on the ground, his face showing a hint of relief at surviving a disaster.

At first, he was very uneasy, not knowing whether the mysterious golden-robed man was friend or foe. But he recognized Charles and Drake, who were not masked, and the identity of the newcomer was obvious.

"It seems there are some people breaking the rules in this black market," Roland said meaningfully.

The old man seemed very cautious; he probably wouldn't be too conspicuous about acquiring extraordinary traits, and outsiders would be even less likely to know. This must have involved intelligence support from the Upside-Down House.

Moreover, they were able to bribe the night watchmen, which is something that not just anyone could do.

“It must be the upside-down house. The four families take turns on night watch, and it just so happens to be their turn today. Sir, you should leave quickly; I'll handle this.” The old man was shrewd and experienced; he was worried that one of the night watchmen might do something foolish.

"Hmm." Roland remained noncommittal.

"There are indeed men in black watching outside; they must have seen the fight," Mandy transmitted.

"Kill him." Roland's mind raced, and he immediately issued the order.

A gunshot rang out in the distance, neither too loud nor too soft.

"Done." Mandy chuckled.

Roland nodded slightly. In his senses, a large number of Night Watchers dressed in the same black clothes were rushing over from afar. He hurriedly sent Charles and Drake back to the Spirit Realm.

"I'll lend you some clothes."

He darted into the house, rummaged through the cabinet, pulled out a few tattered clothes and put them on, then donned a mask and hat. Before the night watchman arrived, he returned to the courtyard and knocked the two prisoners unconscious.

"Lend me some money."

The old man stared blankly as Roland snatched the wallet, pulled out all the banknotes, stuffed them into his pocket, and seemingly unintentionally revealed a corner of a thick, green wad of cash, which unconsciously became the center of attention.

The old man and the young man were completely bewildered by his actions, not knowing what he was doing and not daring to ask any questions.

That's about right.

Roland looked at his "disgraceful" appearance and nodded in satisfaction.

(End of this chapter)