Mister Coroules: "Naran was arrested."
Ji Ung: "Wait, what?"
The guy really got into a fight with one of the Roar Gang inspectors. How stupid can one be? No one can be more stupid than that guy, of course.
Ji Ung: "How can someone get into a fight with one of the inspectors?"
"Wait, he fought one of the inspectors? No, Naran isn't that dumb." Coroules said
" That's the rumor going around."said ji ung
"Get the children. They were with him throughout."
The children approached.
"Good day, Mister Coroules." The greeted
"Good day, Louie, Lebia, and Shoyo. What happened to Naran?"coroules replied
Lebia said with tears in her eyes: "Well, it wasn't his fault. Things just got out of control.
"What truly happened?"asked coroules
Lebia continued: "After the mongrel of a man tried to hit Shoyo, Naran saved him and—"
Ji Ung interrupted: "And what?"
---
"You guys, stop! Okay, stop!" Naran feared the worst as the children threw things at the inspector " Naran tries stoping them
"You useless brats!" He hit Naran on the back of his head and moved toward the children. Naran kicked the inspector's legs, stopping him from reaching them. The inspector yelled
"I said sorry! Forgive them, okay? They don't know what they were doing." Naran said with false remorse
The enraged inspector tried to hit Naran again, but Naran expertly dodged. Provoked, the inspector swung once more, but Naran was too swift—dodging and tripping the inspector.
The inspector fell, hitting his head on the counter, breaking it, and falling unconscious.
"I didn't mean to!" But everyone had just seen him attack a Roar Gang inspector—a representative of the Roar's leadership. Naran said trying to clarify
Other inspectors and Ceno came out after hearing the commotion. Seeing the unconscious inspector bleeding on the ground, Ceno looked at Naran with anger and frustration, shouting in unison with the other inspector: "You fucking fool!"
The upset inspector called the Roar enforcers, who arrested Naran and locked down Ceno's restaurant.
---
[Present]
Lebia said: "So that's how Naran got arrested."
Ji Ung exclaimed: "Oh fuck! How do we get him out of this one now?"
---
[IN PRISON]
Naran looked up at the red sky, wondering how he was going to leave this damn place.
A cloaked individual asked: "Are you going to stay there just looking, wandering about your useless life?
"Yes. It helps me calm down." Naran replied
The cloaked figure asked: "Why are you here?"
Naran responded irritably: "Because I chose to be."
The cloaked figure laughed: "Hahaha! You really are an idiot. Well, since you don't want to tell me why you're here, I'll tell you why I'm here."
---
[Elsewhere]
A man with a blade on his back said: "Naran really gave the Roar a reason to increase our credit tax. Now we may have to pay."
Ji Ung agreed: "Micah is right. The Roar can use this as justified reason to increase our credit tax."
The children looked sad, believing it was their fault Naran was in jail. But Coroules comforted them.
Coroules assured everyone: "No one is at fault. Everyone just did what they thought was right. We just need to work harder, and everything is going to be okay."
---
[Back in Prison]
Naran gasped: "Fuck! I did the hundred push-ups you asked for! Now tell me where the Lansing Steel is!"
The cloaked figure laughed: "Hahaha! You really are an idiot, believing the lie I told you about being in jail because I know where the Lansing Steel is—the steel the Roar Gang is looking for."
"I know you're not lying. While I was being arrested, I heard guards saying the vice-head of the Roar is heading this way soon. The only reason someone like that would come to this part of the outskirts is if something as valuable as that is around. Now tell me—where is it?" Naran insisted
The figure smirked: "Hahaha! Clever. Well, you aren't wrong. There is Lansing steel somewhere."
A guard interrupted: "Hey, you! Get up. You've got a visitor."
The cloaked figure whispered to Naran: "Stay under the wolf's eyes. See you soon."
Naran knew he had to find the Lansing Steel—one of the most valuable metals, capable of absorbing and storing massive amounts of mana. If he could get even a few tons, it would be enough to pay their credits for a year.
THUD.
A guard heard the noise and rushed to Naran's cell, finding him passed out. Unaware it was a trick, the guard entered.
Naran struck—grabbing the keys, flipping up, and smashing his knee into the guard's face, knocking him out instantly.
Naran muttered: "Predictable fools."
He rushed out of the cell, unsure where to go but knowing he had to take the risk.
Naran panicked internally: "Fuck, fuck, fuck! Stupid me—where the fuck am I even heading?"
Hearing footsteps, he jumped up and clung to the ceiling like a spider.
One guard asked another: "Why do you think the vice-head is here?"
"Seems like it probably has something to do with that person I took downstairs," the other guard replied.
"Yeah... but what makes him special?"
"I heard it's something." Big Naran eyes narrowed
"Like what." The guard asked
The other guard replied: Lansing steel....
Suddenly, a blaring alarm interrupted them.
"Everyone move to the lobby now! We have an escaped prisoner!" The message echoed across the prison intercom.
"Fuck how Naran taught—screw it!"
He didn't hesitate. From the rooftop, he leapt, crashing through the nearest window and plummeting to the rear courtyard of the prison. Glass and steel tore at him as he landed, his body a bloodied wreck. But he moved—injured, limping, barely conscious. One thought kept him going:
"I have to deliver this... to Mister Coroules."
---
"Get the medics!" a voice shouted.
"We have an injured man!" another called, closer this time.
"What happened, Micah?" Ji Ung asked, rushing toward the commotion.
"A lot, Mister Ji Ung. We were out scavenging, but then... we got ambushed by corrupted wolves. They were stronger than usual—not by much, but still too strong for us at the moment. Luckily, we were saved by elite members of the Roar gang. One of them was even an Adept."
He paused, shame and frustration mixing in his voice.
"They handled the wolves easily... but in exchange for saving our lives, they took everything we found. All of it. We were going to trade that stuff for credits."
"Surviving is the most important thing," Ji Ung replied calmly.
"But the credits... we need them," Micah lamented.
"A lot of people were injured today. We should be grateful no one died," came a familiar voice.
"Mister Coroules, you're back!" Ji Ung turned quickly. "How was the meeting with Roar?"
"They said they'll go over my proposal," Coroules replied, his tone unreadable.
"Seems like Roar is busy planning something," came a new voice—female, poised.
"Miss Cathie!" Micah exclaimed.
Miss Cathie, wife of scavenger Ji Ung, stepped into view.
"What are you doing here?" Micah asked, confused.
"I called her over," Coroules answered. "She might be able to act as an intermediary between the two sides."
"She can do that because... she has connections in Roar," Ji Ung realized aloud, suspicion and curiosity mixing in his tone.
"That explains why elite members of Roar were nearby," he added, more to himself.
"But why now?" Micah asked.
Then—a sudden shout:
"Lansing Steel!"
The voice was hoarse, desperate, out of breath.
All eyes turned toward the bleeding, broken figure near the outer gate