Chapter 556 - 555: Law of the jungle

Chapter 556: Chapter 555: Law of the jungle

The journey was never quiet.

Even after the massacre on the first day, they kept coming.

Their numbers continued to increase, with signs that some of them had already reached the Low Rank 0 level.

In the Mortal Realm, a Low Rank 0 being was already someone a town would worship as its king.

Yet here they were, tasked with assassinating Princess Rasel.

The days flew by as Keith and Kiro grew stronger together.

Their already deadly fighting style became even more refined.

As for Rasel, apart from the occasional screams of pain from outside, no one could come within meters of her because she was well protected.

Of course, Rasel knew this wasn’t the full strength of her enemies.

They were merely trailing her while adopting a wait-and-see approach.

Finally, after nearly a week of travel and passing through multiple towns and cities, they reached their destination.

Molak City.

A city that rivaled an entire kingdom in size, spanning more than a hundred kilometers.

It was a thriving metropolis filled with merchants, nobles, officials, and commoners alike.

Located beside the sea, it was an important coastal city where ships constantly arrived and departed from its ports, making it resemble a marketplace that never slept.

The force that controlled this city was none other than the Molak Family, the hidden family said to rival the Ynvashi Kingdom in power.

"One hundred and fifty taels for each person."

As they arrived, the guards stopped them.

For Keith and Kiro, this was surprising, though for completely different reasons.

Keith remembered that he hadn’t even been worth fifty taels back when he was in the slave market.

It was because no one was willing to buy him that he had eventually been sent to the gladiator arena.

Even the cities they had passed through only charged at most ten taels for entry.

This was the difference between an ordinary city and a massive trading metropolis.

The gap was enormous.

For Kiro, however, it was different.

He originally came from the Upper Realm.

To him, the so-called taels were nothing more than worthless pieces of metal scattered across the ground.

Yet in the Mortal Realm, they were valued so highly that they served as the standard currency for trading.

Along the journey, Kiro had bought several resources to strengthen himself while practicing his family’s cultivation manual.

For now, it was the highest-grade manual he could obtain unless he returned to the Upper Realm and joined a major force.

As for Devon and Rasel, this was nothing unusual.

Devon simply paid the fee, and they were allowed inside.

Once inside, they saw merchants filling the streets while nobles walked about proudly.

This wasn’t just a marketplace for coastal goods.

Various treasures, cultivation resources, food, weapons, and manuals could all be found here.

That was because trade here was almost completely tax-free.

Unlike kingdoms and other cities that imposed heavy taxes on merchants, Molak City charged next to nothing.

Combined with the protection of the Molak Family, it had become the greatest trading hub in the region.

Even if enemies met inside the city, they could only exchange hostile glances before walking away.

After all, the Molak Family ruled here.

No one dared break their rules.

Because of that, the city’s value was immeasurable.

Nobles, merchants, and commoners all rushed here to trade, knowing their safety and goods were guaranteed inside the city.

Outside...

That was another story.

"Let’s find an inn and get some rest."

"Tomorrow, we’ll leave," Devon instructed as they walked through the bustling streets.

"Yes, Sir Devon," the driver replied.

By now, he had become numb to seeing corpses and watching people die right before his eyes.

Soon, they found a decent inn and checked in.

The group of five entered.

Keith, Kiro, and the driver shared one room, while Sir Devon and the Princess each had separate rooms.

Before long, someone knocked on their door.

"Your food, sirs."

A male servant bowed respectfully as he extended the tray.

Keith accepted it.

"Will that be all, sirs?" he asked.

"Yeah. Thank you," Keith replied before closing the door.

The instant it shut...

Kiro frowned.

"He seems fishy," Kiro said bluntly.

"Yeah, he does."

"His eyes gave him away."

"Most likely, we should expect an attack tonight," Keith replied.

The driver trembled.

Another attack?

How many times had they already been attacked?

He was only one step away from suffering a heart attack.

The only reassuring thing was that Sir Devon was nearby, and Keith and Kiro had never allowed anyone to get close to the carriage.

Even so...

Fear gripped his heart.

"But..."

"But isn’t this Molak City’s territory?"

"There’s a rule prohibiting all battles."

"They... they shouldn’t attack here," the driver said.

Kiro laughed.

"That’s true for ordinary people."

"But have you forgotten?"

"These assassins work for organizations powerful enough to stand against the Molak Family."

"Not to mention the people backing them..."

"The princes of the Ynvashi Kingdom."

"I’ve yet to see something they wouldn’t dare do," Kiro analyzed.

The driver shivered.

Even the delicious food no longer tasted good.

What if it was poisoned?

Damn it...

Why had he volunteered to become the Princess’s driver?

He felt as though he had already lost twenty years of his life during this journey.

The night came quickly, but the driver remained restless. His body twitched as he couldn’t fall asleep, while Keith and Kiro leaned against the windows, looking down at the city below.

It was already 11 p.m., yet it was as bright as day. People moved about one by one, some buying goods, others simply appreciating the scenery.

"Would you say this is how life is meant to be for all humans?" Kiro asked as Keith raised an eyebrow.

"I can’t say. I haven’t lived much among other humans in a structured society like this, so I don’t know what would be considered good or bad," Keith answered as Kiro narrowed his eyes.

"If so, do you want to know about it? Like creating a safe environment for people like you, so they won’t be captured by slave traders? Don’t you hate them for what they put you through?" Kiro asked.

After all, he had surrendered himself to them to grow stronger, but he knew that for people like Keith, they were likely captured, their towns burned, and their parents slaughtered.

Hearing this, Keith couldn’t help but laugh.

"Why would I care? The slave traders treated me better than my own townspeople. Heh... no one came to save me when I was captured. I had to survive by myself. If I could do so, then so can they," Keith said coldly.

Kiro felt there was more behind Keith’s words.

Especially the fact that the slave traders, who fed people pig’s food, had treated him better than his own townspeople.

How terrible were his townspeople?

Kiro couldn’t help but become curious.

"And if they can’t survive on their own?" Kiro asked.

"Then they weren’t strong enough," Keith replied.

"Come on..."

"They’re here," Keith said as he sensed several auras closing in.