My family runs an adventurer's guild.

"...Hehehe, all of you are complaining here, but in the end, it's because your fists aren't strong enough! Whether it's rebel soldiers, rioters, monsters, or fickle nobles, as long as I, the great one, step in, I can beat them into submission!"

The one who made such a boastful statement was a bald man with a beast tattoo covering half his face. This bald man had an extremely strong physique. His muscles bulged explosively, his face was fierce, and his eyes were cold; it was clear at a glance that he was no benevolent person.

Moreover, all the other managers of the [Eight Finger] departments and the Supreme Speaker present were accompanied by guards, but this man had no one behind him—that was because this bald man didn't need any guards at all.

In terms of strength alone, if this man wanted to, he could easily kill everyone in this room as if it were a game.

This man's name is Jieluo.

To those unfamiliar with the name, Jieluo is simply a fierce-looking tough guy.

But for those who recognize this name, Jero is definitely one of the people they least want to mess with.

The reason is simple—this guy is too good at fighting.

Gerald is the head of the security department and the strongest fighter of the [Eight Fingers] organization. Even when Captain Gazef, known as the strongest warrior in the Kingdom of Reyestier, personally confronted Gerald with the king's bestowed sword [Razor Blade], he could not easily defeat him.

Moreover, there are five other assassins who are just as powerful as Jieluo, collectively known as the "Six Arms," ​​with Jieluo as their leader.

—The six people known as the "Six Arms" are all comparable to adventurers of the Steel rank.

If Captain Gazef-Stronov and several other adamantite-class adventurers are the strongest fighting force in the Kingdom of Riyestege on the surface, then Gelo and his Six Arms are the strongest assassins in the underworld of Riyestege.

Therefore, relying on his powerful personal strength, Jie Luo never bothered with any business dealings and always made a living by extorting money and collecting protection fees.

In order to support Six Arms as a military force, the Eight Fingers organization also has to regularly extract money from other departments to pay Jieluo.

This special treatment made Jielu quite arrogant, and even in roundtable meetings, he was used to looking down on people.

But in reality, given the current turbulent situation, his "six arms" have also encountered trouble...

"...Jieluo! Before you start bragging to others, you should take care of your Six Arms first! I heard that in the last few days, many of your underlings have run away, and some have even started their own businesses. Why haven't you cleaned them up?" the Speaker scolded irritably.

This one sentence brought the atmosphere at the scene to a freezing point.

“…Hehe…” Jieluo let out a cold laugh that sounded like a beast’s growl, but he ultimately did not lash out.

On the one hand, it was because the one criticizing him was the speaker, the organization's highest leader; on the other hand, he was genuinely quite guilty about it...

As the saying goes, people strive for higher positions, while water flows downhill. The more turbulent and chaotic a world is, the more likely it is to produce ambitious individuals.

Therefore, seeing the current chaos in the Kingdom of Riyestege, where many originally penniless peasants have managed to conquer castles and manors and then establish themselves as powerful warlords, the gangsters of the Six Arms organization couldn't help but start to have their own ideas.

Why are these lowly people allowed to occupy castles and manors so openly, while we, who are skilled in martial arts, are forced to be treated like dogs?

Although the Eight Fingers and the Six Arms are famous in the country, the treatment of the lower-level henchmen is just so-so. How can it compare to being your own boss?

Even a salted fish has the ambition to turn its life around!

Thus, in just a few dozen days, many of the lower-ranking members of [Six Arms] deserted. Some absconded with money and weapons, leaving the organization without a word, returning to their hometowns or elsewhere, hoping to make a fortune through fighting and killing; others were local branch leaders who led a group of followers to raise armies on their own, occupying noble territories and acting arrogantly. Although they nominally still respected Jieluo as their leader, they were in fact semi-independent.

Faced with this situation where the group was on the verge of collapse, Jieluo was naturally furious, but he couldn't come up with a suitable solution for the time being. Although he could lead his trusted men to punish those rebellious underlings, in the midst of the country's turmoil, he might not even be able to find them.

If, by some unfortunate chance, he were to fight several battles on the road, or even encounter the demon army of that so-called "Tomb King," then even his own life might not be spared—no matter how arrogant Jieluo was, he knew that he could not do anything to the "Tomb King" who could kill tens of thousands of soldiers in an instant.

Therefore, apart from strengthening control over the Six Arms forces in the capital, he could only let things take their course regarding the situation in other regions.

"...Alas, I originally thought that the only person in the entire kingdom who would dare to attack us [Eight Fingers] was Princess Lana. Now that this princess has become Queen Lana, it may be detrimental to the organization."

Seeing everyone's dejected appearance, the slave trader Kekedaer sighed and shrugged, saying, "...In the end, the Golden Queen hasn't even made a move against the [Eight Fingers] yet, and the turbulent situation of the kingdom's full-scale war has already given us such a headache."

Judging from the current situation, I think we should probably start thinking about what to do if the kingdom really does perish.

After hearing what the slave trader Kekedaer said, the others present also felt a complex mix of emotions.

Originally, after so many years of infiltration and development, countless nobles and officials throughout the Kingdom of Ri-Yestize had colluded with the [Eight Fingers], forming an all-encompassing network of interests and a protective umbrella.

With this massive protective umbrella, any action by the kingdom that could be detrimental to the Eight Fingers would face immense resistance. Even if they managed to break through this resistance and take action, the Eight Fingers could prepare in advance and calmly deal with any crisis thanks to the tips of informed nobles.

Under such circumstances, there are probably very few people in the entire Kingdom of Ri-Estize who, despite the obstruction of the nobles, still painstakingly try to eliminate the Eight Finger and personally take action against them.

The most troublesome of them all is Princess Lana, who is known as the Golden Princess and possesses the most beautiful face in the kingdom.

— Several years ago, Princess Lana was someone that the Eight Fingers wanted to get rid of as soon as possible.

This princess not only legally abolished slavery, causing considerable trouble for the Eight Fingers' human trafficking, but also consistently used her personal influence to try and eradicate the Eight Fingers, who were threatening the entire kingdom, inflicting significant damage on them.

Therefore, the entire Eight Fingers clan already harbored deep hatred for this troublesome Golden Princess, and would never let her go if given the chance.

Unfortunately, Princess Lana usually stays in the palace and rarely comes out. Even a powerful underworld figure like the Eight Fingers cannot openly send people to break into the palace for an assassination—after all, the palace is home to Captain Gazef, known as the strongest warrior in the Kingdom of Reyestig, and his elite subordinates, making infiltration and assassination no easy feat.

More importantly, if the Eight Fingers were to send assassins into the palace to kill Princess Lana and succeed, it would break the tacit understanding and bottom line between the Eight Fingers and the kingdom's nobles, leading to unpredictable consequences. If the Eight Fingers could easily enter the palace and kill the princess today, could they kill the king tomorrow? And the day after tomorrow, could they wipe out all the nobles in the country and then rule the country in their place?

Monarchs in feudal times were not like modern-day US presidents, who could be assassinated as easily as playing around...

Once the entire aristocratic class develops such fear, the protective umbrella of the Eight Fingers will crumble on its own, unless the Eight Fingers can truly defeat the major nobles of the country on their own and rule the entire kingdom—but this is simply an impossible task.

Therefore, no matter how resentful he was, [Eight Fingers] could only keep exchanging blows with Princess Lana, rather than directly overturning the table and killing her.

However, now that war and turmoil have swept the entire country, the members of [Eight Fingers] were astonished to realize that their previous exchanges with the Golden Princess were merely minor skirmishes. Compared to the current devastation of the city, their destructive power was negligible.

Even criminal organizations that make a living through illegal activities can only thrive in the "sin city" before chaos erupts. Once the era of warlord conflicts and rampant banditry arrives, the meager military strength and deterrent power of a mere criminal group become utterly insignificant.

For example, the famous Green Gang of old Shanghai had a reputation that could keep the common people of Shanghai in check, but could it keep the warlords and generals in check?

Chapter 189, This organization is now under my control!

What's worse is that when they fought the Golden Princess before, at least [Eight Fingers] knew who the enemy was and had a clear target.

However, in today's chaotic world, with rampant riots and warlord conflicts, even if [Eight Fingers]'s branches are destroyed and its assets looted, they often can't figure out who the culprit is. Or, even if [Eight Fingers] finally manages to identify the enemy who dared to attack them, before they can organize their forces, retaliate, and establish their authority, the enemy has already died in internal strife or battle, leaving [Eight Fingers], who were still mobilizing troops, to have worked in vain.

Similarly, in a chaotic world where war rages and everyone is living hand to mouth, it is very difficult to collect the high-interest loans issued by the [Eight Finger] organization – some creditors are dead, some have disappeared in the war, and some have become bandit leaders... How can such high-interest loans be collected?

As for the arms trade, which has become increasingly popular with the arrival of the chaotic world... just like the grain trade, [Eight Finger] has never been involved in it on a large scale before. Moreover, even though they control a few blacksmith workshops, the weapons consumed by the organization members in their daily fighting are quite considerable, so there is really not much to sell.

For any organization or group, transitioning from a relaxed state of peace to a harsh state of war is a painful experience, much like upgrading a computer's operating system. Crashes, data loss, and a host of other incompatibility issues will inevitably arise.

The current all-out war that has nearly brought the kingdom to its knees has certainly damaged the kingdom's ability to maintain order and combat crime, but it has also destroyed the [Eight Fingers]'s chain of interests, network of relationships, and protective umbrella, plunging this huge gang that parasitizes the kingdom's body into an unexpected predicament.

Even if you have many powerful figures backing you up, if even these powerful figures are about to lose their lives, who can protect you?

Even the largest organizations, including criminal groups, cannot thrive without a relatively peaceful environment.

If social unrest exceeds a certain threshold, even criminal organizations will be rendered unable to function.

Imagine if Mexico were to suffer even more than Syria, with warlords frequently massacring cities and burning villages, water, electricity, roads, and railways completely destroyed, banknotes becoming worthless, the financial system collapsing, communications reduced to shouting, and transportation relying solely on foot... How would drug lords continue operating then?

—The brutal flames of war can not only destroy the precious wealth of civilized society, but also the filth and grime of civilized society.

Even the most ruthless gangsters are afraid of a war that could destroy everyone!

As a result, faced with the current predicament of shrinking illegal businesses, the successive destruction of outlying strongholds, the defection or disappearance of peripheral henchmen, and the demoralization of the organization, the senior leaders of [Eight Fingers] were almost all filled with resentment, but had nowhere to vent their anger.

In fact, if we had to find a culprit, we could actually find one – Ainz, the "Magic King" who claims to have been asleep for thousands of years and only recently emerged from an ancient tomb.

If he hadn't first conquered the border fortress city of Ye-Lantir after emerging from the tomb, and then annihilated the kingdom's 200,000-strong army in the Sand Sculpture Hills, plunging the entire Kingdom of Ri-Estize into a world of war, [Eight Fingers] wouldn't have suddenly fallen into its current dire situation.

But... that was a super-powerful man who wiped out an army of 200,000 in one breath!

Even if you gave [Eight Fingers] ten times the courage, he wouldn't dare to go against a guy like that... It's practically asking for trouble!

However, as a result, the delicate predicament that [Eight Finger] is currently facing still has no solution.

Of course, against the backdrop of such chaos and strife, in addition to dealing with each move and barely surviving, the Eight Fingers also had a more radical way out: to turn darkness into light, to step out from behind the scenes and into the forefront, to turn the manpower and resources they had accumulated into an army, and to raise their own banners to conquer the world.

If this succeeds, the leaders of the Eight Fingers will become the founding fathers of a new nation, holding titles such as duke and marquis, and walking openly in the sunlight, instead of being like rats in the gutter, only able to rule in the underground world.

However, the price that [Eight Fingers] would have to pay would be very heavy. First, if [Eight Fingers] were no longer satisfied with their status in the criminal world and instead attempted to seize the kingdom, they would completely break with the ruling class of the entire kingdom. Even if they temporarily seized the capital through a surprise attack, they would then face the encirclement and suppression of the noble class of the whole country, just like the eighteen warlords of the Three Kingdoms period who attacked Dong Zhuo.

Secondly, through years of infiltration and erosion, the Eight Fingers have built a deeply entrenched network of relationships within the ruling class of the Kingdom of Riyestege, while also tightly binding themselves to the nobility of Riyestege—after all, networks are reciprocal. If the Eight Fingers were to raise the banner of rebellion and step out from behind the scenes, who knows how many members would immediately defect to the nobles!

Finally, as a major criminal organization, [Eight Fingers] excels at assassination, brawls, intelligence gathering, and kidnapping for ransom, but they are completely inept at large-scale, open warfare. The thugs this organization relies on are only suited for small-scale street fights or raids on the mansions and estates of wealthy officials; as for their performance in real battlefield combat… the outlook is rather pessimistic.

It's important to understand that, according to the experience of renowned military strategists throughout history, those seemingly brave and aggressive but actually cowardly gangsters, due to their cunning and disobedience, have always been considered the worst soldiers. In actual combat, they are far less effective than honest and simple peasant soldiers. According to those famous generals, adding a large number of gangsters to the army would severely reduce combat effectiveness.

If it were an army composed entirely of gangsters and thugs... it would be quite an achievement if they could even win a battle with an easy advantage.

In short, unless absolutely necessary, it is unlikely that the Eight Finger Group will be able to make the decision to upgrade from a criminal organization to a warlord group.

Because the current [Eight Fingers] is already too large, and the interests involved are too complex. Any major decision will have far-reaching consequences, and there is even a risk that the organization will disintegrate.

On the contrary, small gangs with only a few to a dozen people, formed by brotherhood, find it much easier to join the army or start their own gangs—as the saying goes, "a small boat can turn around quickly, but a large boat is hard to turn around!"

So, after exchanging sighs of frustration, a few sarcastic remarks, and some less important information, the managers of the "Eight Fingers" departments who participated in this roundtable meeting, as before, stopped talking to each other and went about their own business.

At one point, Kekedaoer, who was in charge of the human trade, suddenly frowned and pressed a finger to his temple.

That's a sign that you've received a [message] spell.

Then, the slave trader Kekedaoer's face darkened, and he seemed somewhat displeased.

Ms. Hilma, sitting next to him, immediately turned her gaze to his face and asked in a low voice:

"...What? What happened?"

"...It's nothing major, it's just that...a team in the city that was trying to kidnap high-class hostages seems to have failed."

Although his expression wasn't good, in order not to show weakness in front of his colleagues, Kekedaoer tried to downplay it, saying, "...A scout guarding the city gates reported that a very beautiful blonde young lady had arrived from out of town, a truly stunning beauty, and she didn't seem to have any connections in the capital. So I sent a team of experienced men over to handle the situation...but they all disappeared."

Just now, someone discovered their bodies—it seems this young lady had several formidable guards with her…

“…Oh, I see!” The others nodded and paid no further attention, nor did they ask Kekedaoer how he planned to take revenge.

As the saying goes, "If you're always in the thick of things, you're bound to get hurt." For a gang that makes fighting and killing their daily work, various gang wars, kidnapping attempts resulting in death, and failed thefts leading to being killed are commonplace for [Eight Fingers]. If [Eight Fingers] had to launch a large-scale retaliation every time a member failed to steal or kidnap, the organization would have gone bankrupt long ago.

Of course, it's not to say that there will definitely be no retaliation, but it depends on the cost-effectiveness... The ultimate goal of a gang is to make money. If they know that a plan is very difficult to execute, but still insist on fighting it instead of cutting their losses in time, then they are fools—that's not how loyalty is supposed to be!

Even at its peak, the United States did not launch a large-scale military retaliation against Somalia after the "Black Hawk Down" incident!

However, none of the managers from the "Eight Fingers" departments who participated in this roundtable meeting realized at that moment that this seemingly ordinary bad news was actually an ominous sign that they were about to meet their end...

※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※

After some time, this "Eight-Point" meeting, which was more of a formality than a substance, was also nearing its end.

The troubles brought to this criminal organization by war, turmoil, and societal changes remain unresolved.

However, the managers of the "Eight Fingers" departments who came here for the meeting will soon no longer have to worry.

Because a significant portion of them will face their death on this day…

Just as the managers of the [Eight Fingers] departments began packing up to leave, a chaotic commotion suddenly erupted from downstairs. Among the sounds, one could discern human screams and the thud of blunt force trauma to bodies…

But this noise and commotion lasted only a brief moment, and then everything returned to silence.

A tranquility that sends shivers down your spine.

Could it be... that an enemy has come knocking on our door?

The leaders exchanged glances and were about to call for help when the conference room door was opened from the outside.

"...Hmm! You guys, are you the leaders of this 'Eight Fingers' gang?"

A dark elf "boy" entered the room with a cheerful shout, followed by a timid dark elf "girl".

This stunned everyone in the room, leaving them momentarily speechless.

If it were some expert or a group of soldiers who broke in, they might be able to understand, but what about these two children?

"...Yes, according to the Supreme Being's instructions, you will now be asked to become the Supreme Being's servants!"

Although the scene was deathly silent, the dark elf "boy" continued in a cheerful tone, "...Now, please welcome the Supreme Being!"

The next moment, a portal with glowing edges suddenly appeared, and a figure wearing a black robe and a mask walked out.

"...Is this the headquarters of [Eight Fingers]? It seems more shabby than I imagined! To be honest, I don't really like recruiting a bunch of notorious criminals, but someone said you guys are very useful for intelligence, so I reluctantly agreed...Alright, enough of the nonsense!"

He arrogantly addressed the crowd, "...From today onwards, this organization is under my control! Who agrees? Who objects?"

Only then did the leader of the Eight Finger gang in the conference room calm down from his shock and begin to think rapidly.

Although we haven't figured out exactly what happened yet, the fact that these strangers were able to directly intrude into the [Eight Fingers] summit shows that their military strength is considerable, and they have likely wiped out all our forces around this building.

In this situation, it seems like one should first feign compliance and stall for time... and then look for an opportunity to escape?

However, one of them did not have that patience.

"...What a joke! Where did you come from? Do you know what happens when you anger me?"

The head of the Eight-Finger Guard Department, Jieluo, the leader of the Six-Armed Guard, roared as he stood up, raising his fist to retaliate.

"...Oh? You seem unconvinced? Very well, then, go die! [Despair Aura]! Level 5!"

In response, the masked man in the black robe simply raised his hand, pointed at Jieluo from afar, and exhaled a thin cloud of black mist.

The next moment, Jieluo, who had just stood up, collapsed softly onto the carpet, foaming at the mouth and dying with a livid face.

For a moment, the room was completely silent.