Skinny struggled back to consciousness from the throbbing pain, his head buzzing and his vision blurry. It wasn't until a jarring splash of crimson entered his sight that his mind snapped into focus.
It was the back of Fatty's head. It was no longer recognizable, just a gruesome mash of red and white, like a smashed dragon fruit. A thick liquid mixed with dirt was slowly seeping across the ground.
"Bleeghh…"
The sight of the corpse sent a wave of terror through him, and he vomited on the spot. A chill ran down his spine. He whipped his head around and saw a small, thin figure.
Jiang Mo!
The same little brat who had been cowering in the corner just a short while ago, trembling as they bullied him.
Now, he just stood there, silhouetted against the light from the alley's entrance. His face was hidden in shadow, but his eyes glowed with a frightening red in the darkness.
"You… you…" Skinny shivered, his teeth chattering uncontrollably as he pointed at Fatty. "What did you do? You killed him?!"
"I'm going to the Silvermane Guards…" he stammered, scrambling backward on his hands and feet, trying to get up and run.
Jiang Mo's eyes turned ice-cold.
The Silvermane Guards? Heh. In the Underworld, where a human life was worth less than a dog's, would they really bother with the death of a street urchin? What a laughably naive thought.
"You murderer! You're finished! When the Guards get here, you'll spend the rest of your life in—"
Skinny had just managed to get to his feet and was about to turn when he felt a sudden coldness on the back of his neck. Jiang Mo was behind him, a blood-stained brick in his hand.
Before Skinny could react, the heavy brick whistled through the air and slammed into the back of his head.
Thump—!
With a dull thud, Skinny collapsed without even a scream, his body going stiff before pitching forward. His head hit the cold ground with a sickening crack. Blood, as if from a turned-on faucet, quickly spread from under him, merging with Fatty's to form a growing pool in the filthy alley.
[Villain Points +30!]
Jiang Mo didn't even blink at the system prompt. He stared coldly at the new corpse on the ground, the only sound in the alley being his own heavy breathing. His hands trembled slightly after killing two people. It wasn't fear, but the weakness from exertion. The hunger was also starting to claw at his stomach again.
Just as he was about to search the bodies for anything of value—even a scrap of food—a slightly trembling, yet incredibly familiar voice came from the alley's entrance.
"Jiang Mo, what are you… doing?!"
Jiang Mo's heart leaped, his muscles tensing instantly as he spun around.
A small girl stood silhouetted in the light. She was about his age, with messy, short blue-black hair and dressed in patched, dirty old clothes. A worn, empty cloth bag was slung over her back, her face smudged with dirt.
It was Seele!
He knew this girl. She was one of the few people in the Underworld he could talk to. Like him, Seele was a homeless orphan. She used to be at the orphanage, but for some reason, she left shortly after getting to know him. Now, they both survived by digging through trash and scavenging. They were competitors, but when they occasionally met at the same trash can, they would search together and share their findings. Jiang Mo, feeling that life was harder for a girl, would often give her the larger share of anything decent he found.
He remembered clearly that he hadn't seen her around the trash cans for the past few days. She had complained there was nothing to find here and had gone to the neighboring Rivet Town to try her luck.
So why was she back now? And of all times, why this moment?
Seele's eyes were wide with shock as she took in the gruesome scene—two figures lying in pools of blood, a slightly older boy unconscious nearby, and Jiang Mo, standing beside them with a blood-stained brick in his hand. Her gaze flickered between him and the bodies, her face a mask of confusion and disbelief.
Jiang Mo's heart sank. She saw… What do I do? What will she do? Report me? Tell the adults? Or… tell the Silvermane Guards?
His mind raced, desperately trying to think of a solution. Kill her to silence her? The thought flashed through his mind for a second before he forcefully suppressed it. Even if he wasn't completely drained of energy, he could never bring himself to harm Seele.
Seele stood frozen for several seconds before seeming to snap out of it. She walked quickly into the alley, bypassing Fatty's caved-in head to check on Huzi and Skinny. She crouched down, her trembling fingers checking for a pulse before she peeled back their eyelids. Her brow furrowed even deeper.
After confirming that Skinny was dead and Huzi was just unconscious, she stood up and looked at Jiang Mo again.
"You… killed them?" Her voice was soft, devoid of emotion, but her eyes were a whirlwind of thoughts.
Jiang Mo remained silent, not denying it. He knew that in this situation, any excuse would sound pathetic. The children of the Underworld matured quickly. Seele, having lived as an orphan here, had seen enough darkness to be wise and perceptive beyond her years. Lying to her would only make him look ridiculous.
His silence was a confession. Seele didn't speak either, just quietly processing everything. After a moment, she spoke again.
"It was their fault, wasn't it?" she said. "The three of them always used their numbers to bully people and steal things around here. Last month, they robbed that old man with the limp from the next street of half a bag of bran he'd scavenged. They even broke his arm."
"People who do things like that get what's coming to them… I just didn't expect it to be today."
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