Chapter 599 - 598: The Ambush Begins

Chapter 599: Chapter 598: The Ambush Begins

Both men wore Studded Leather Armor. One had two Daggers hanging from his waist, while the other carried a Longbow on his back. They looked like twin brothers; both had the same slender, somewhat gaunt build.

"Don’t talk about women, you idiots," Ham said with a yawn.

’Always talking about women on the job. It’s one of humanity’s many failings.’

’Not that Ham minded. If it weren’t for that, Hell’s total productivity would probably drop by a fifth.’

The vanguard snapped, "Tell your red-skinned monkey to shut it, Evil Mage!"

"I’m afraid I must refuse. My Familiar is the second-smartest person here."

The Evil Mage gave a sinister chuckle. "This mission has nothing to do with women. First, we ask the guy if he’s willing to join us. If not, we kill him and take the Half-plate Armor."

"That’s not a smart move. The Plate Armor might just be for show. I know plenty of Magic Armors like that, enchanted with a simple light or mist spell to look impressive. They’re practically worthless."

The man with the Round Shield grumbled, "And we traded two pieces of our gear for that stupid Capture Net."

"Being on a team with you is the stupid decision," Ham sighed. "The Magic Radiance on that Half-plate Armor proves it’s the real deal."

’As a brilliant Imp, he found working with these mortals to be such a chore. They were all so stupid. With his talents, the high-ranking Demons should have given him a more valuable assignment.’

"But we don’t even know if this will work," the man with the Longbow said resentfully.

Ham held up an index finger for emphasis. "Let me repeat myself. The iron net we acquired is for dealing with idiot Warriors who only know Swordsmanship. And our target happens to be just such an idiot Warrior."

"Even without the iron net, there are four of us. Taking down even a semi-famous hero wouldn’t be that hard for our group."

The vanguard stepped forward threateningly. "I’d rather deal with you first."

"Fine, bring it on," the Evil Mage said, immediately raising a hand and aiming it at him. "We can make a scene, get caught by the City Guard, and all go rot in a cell together. Without this Imp’s plan, do you really think we would’ve made it this far?"

"Demon’s maggot," the vanguard spat on the ground.

Ham yawned.

’He knew this human was all bark and no bite. A total idiot who wouldn’t actually do anything to him.’

’To be honest, though, Ham was afraid of dying.’

’Even though he was a Demon, and his soul would return to Hell to be resurrected if he were killed in the Mortal World, such an incident would completely ruin his career prospects.’

’Never mind that upon rebirth he’d likely be demoted to the lowest of Inferior Demons. The other high-ranking Demons would see he’d botched the job and would never trust him again. He’d be stuck at the bottom forever.’

Ham shivered at the thought.

’That’s why, even though he felt he was far too talented to be a mere Familiar, he did his best to help his unintelligent master.’

Ham clapped his hands to get everyone’s attention. "All right. Everyone except the vanguard, get into positions on the second floor of the surrounding buildings."

"Our guy will be passing through here soon. The Blood Hand Gang already cleared this alley for us, so no one will know what we’re doing, but we still can’t make a big scene."

"I recall his Half-Elf companion hasn’t been seen for a few days, so we just have to deal with one tin can swinging a big slab of iron. Once we tie him up with the iron net, he’ll be nothing but a pile of dog shit for us to step on. Got it?"

"I’m not stepping in dog shit," the vanguard retorted.

"Enough nonsense! Get ready!" Ham snapped, then turned invisible.

He stretched, leaped from his master’s shoulder, and flew to a nearby rooftop.

He found a round attic window and settled comfortably on the sill, kicking his feet up.

The other idiots took their planned positions as well, leisurely awaiting the arrival of their prey.

After a moment, the sound of scraping metal echoed from the other end of the alley.

The alley was usually deserted, so it wasn’t surprising that the man failed to notice anything amiss. And with the Blood Hand Gang having warned off the local residents, there was even less chance of anyone interfering.

Ham squinted, watching the human Warrior approach.

The Plate Armor he wore, which radiated a cold mist, was just as magnificent as it had been at the gang’s banquet. It was definitely a valuable piece of work.

’As he sized up his prey, Ham mentally reviewed his plan, just as he always did.’

’Generally, humans were divided into two types: Casters and sword-swinging Warriors.’

’Casters determined a party’s maximum potential, but they were also more susceptible to their environment. A well-placed Antimagic Field could render a Caster a useless burden.’

’Warriors, on the other hand, established a party’s baseline. They could perform reliably under any circumstances, which was why many Mages hired guards skilled in melee combat.’

’So, if luck wasn’t on your side, taking down a Warrior could be slightly harder than taking down a Caster.’

’But Ham had prepared for this.’

’Ham glanced toward the archer. His ace in the hole, the key to guaranteeing victory, was in that idiot’s hands.’

A few days ago, after the Warrior appeared at the banquet, their boss had decided he wanted to recruit him into their organization.

Ham, knowing the value of the Warrior’s Armor, had forced the squad to accept the "recruitment" mission. He then had them pool several Magic Items and trade them in Mist Harbor, down in the Undercity, for an Iron Chain Net.

Once thrown, this Magic Item would bind its target tightly upon impact. Even a creature as strong as an Ogre would struggle to break free.

It was the perfect counter to a Warrior.

’Once he’s tied up, no matter how strong he is, can he really fight off four skilled Adventurers with his mouth?’

Ham felt a sense of relief at the thought.

But he knew this relief was only temporary. His idiot master would soon be back, pestering him for another plan.

’None of the squads his master had ever joined had a single functioning brain among them. For years, Ham had been the one planning everything. It was exhausting for a demon’s soul. How was he ever supposed to get a promotion while stuck with these insects?!’

Just then, the Warrior walked into the alley.