Chapter 70: Meeting the City Lord

Antonio Refuge City was in an uproar.

Finn’s rampage at the water station had sent thick smoke billowing into the sky. Explosions and flames had leveled an entire block of buildings. It was impossible for a disturbance like that to go unnoticed.

Anyone afraid of dying had already fled far away, but a few brave—or foolish—souls still lingered nearby to watch the spectacle. When they saw Finn emerge, they whispered among themselves, exclaiming in hushed voices.

“That’s the Tier 5 Vanguard with a bounty from the Radiant Path!”

“I’ve lived more than fifty damn years, and I’ve finally seen a real Tier 5 Vanguard!”

“They should capture him and use him for breeding. Bet he could sire a whole bunch of Tier 5 Vanguards!”

Finn ignored them and went straight to find Olivia. She and Penny were waiting beside the off-road vehicle.

The moment Olivia saw him return unharmed, the crushing weight of worry finally lifted. She let out a long breath, rushed forward, and threw her arms around him.

“Master! Thank goodness you’re safe!”

Penny gave a small sniff, looking envious. “If only I had a powerful ability too. Even Tier 2 would be enough. Genetics just isn’t fair!”

Patrolling sentries began gathering around them. On the stone fortifications nearby, heavy machine guns swiveled around, their barrels aimed at Finn, Olivia, and Penny.

A burly bald man pushed his way through the crowd. He carried a matte-black rifle and wore a black ballistic vest. The sight of Olivia clinging tightly to Finn immediately soured his expression.

“Hey, kid! You’re the one who blew up the water station, right?”

Olivia released Finn. Seeing the sentries ready for battle and the dark muzzles of the machine guns on the fortifications, she immediately pulled out Black Mountain’s insignia.

“We’re envoys from Black Mountain. Opening fire on us would be tantamount to declaring war on Black Mountain!”

The bald man narrowed his beady eyes and carefully inspected the insignia before snorting.

“So what if you’re envoys? You think that gives you the right to kill people in Antonio?”

He waved to the surrounding sentries.

“Tie them up! Flog them first, then drag them before the City Lord!”

Whispers spread through the crowd, with scraps of information passing from person to person.

“Tier 5 Vanguard...”

“The Walker family was wiped out...”

“Radiant Path bounty... eight thousand dollars...”

“The flames were fifteen feet high, and even armor-piercing rounds couldn’t...”

The sentries who had been preparing to rush forward heard the rumors and all took a step back. They were only hired hands. None of them wanted to stick his neck out and get killed.

The bald man was furious, but he did not dare attack either. He could only wave his rifle around threateningly.

A sharp blast from a car horn cut through the noise.

A red Beetle barreled through the crowd. People cursed and scrambled out of its way.

The rounded red car screeched to a halt. The driver jumped out and pulled open the rear door. A man in a pinstriped suit and sunglasses stepped out, his slicked-back hair gleaming with oil.

“What’s all this about?” the man in sunglasses asked.

His gaze quickly landed on the insignia in Olivia’s hand, and he clapped with delight.

“Well, this is a rare treat—envoys from Black Mountain.”

A sentry hurried over and whispered a few words in his ear.

After hearing what had happened, the man laughed without bothering to hide his delight.

“Good! Good riddance! The whole damn family is dead—what wonderful news! The Walkers monopolized the water business for decades. My father wanted to get rid of them years ago. They deserved it! Now the rest of us can divide up the business they left behind.”

The bald man’s expression turned ugly.

“City Lord, our people were murdered, and you’re applauding?”

“So now you remember to call me City Lord?” The man in sunglasses folded his arms. “Just a few days ago, I heard you calling me a wet-behind-the-ears brat.”

The bald man snorted and beckoned his sentries to gather around him, saying nothing more.

The man in sunglasses turned to Olivia and slapped his forehead.

“Right, I forgot to introduce myself. I’m Dewey Oliver, City Lord of Antonio. What brings you here? Another grain trade agreement?”

“We’re here on another matter...” Olivia pressed her lips together, unsure how to explain.

She had no intention of revealing the explosion at Black Mountain’s nuclear reactor, but she also needed this City Lord’s help.

“Half of Black Mountain was destroyed in a nuclear blast! They’re finished! Without the blessing of the Holy Radiance, they’ll never produce food again!”

A shrill, unwelcome voice rang out.

A vein throbbed at Olivia’s temple. She followed the voice and glared at a red-robed Radiant Path follower who was spreading news of Black Mountain’s misfortune. There were quite a few Radiant Path groups in this Refuge City as well.

Dewey Oliver’s expression shifted slightly. He adjusted his sunglasses and asked in a low voice, “Is that true?”

“It is, but we’ll recover soon. If you’re willing to help us now, we will reward you generously in the future,” Olivia replied firmly.

Despite her confident tone, she felt uneasy. Antonio Refuge City valued profit above everything else. As long as you could make these merchants money, they were all smiles and eager to do business. The moment you ceased to be useful, they would turn into hyenas and strip the flesh from your bones.

Sure enough, Dewey’s expression quickly darkened.

“Radiation from a nuclear blast can’t be cleaned up overnight. If Black Mountain can’t recover quickly, we may have to reconsider our trading partnership.”

The bald man suddenly came closer and whispered in Dewey’s ear, “City Lord, I say you arrest those two and put them on trial for murder. That’s the only way to prove your authority and win the people’s respect.”

After speaking, the bald man retreated several paces and stood well out of the way, apparently waiting for Dewey to uphold justice.

Dewey nodded slightly. His gaze roamed over Olivia’s beautiful face, and he gave her a lecherous smile.

“Miss Envoy, profit isn’t all I care about. Have a drink with me. We can get to know each other, and maybe Antonio will find a way to help.”

He reached for Olivia’s hand.

She slapped his hand away, her face instantly turning cold as her right hand closed around the grip of the gun at her waist.

“City Lord Oliver, you represent this entire Refuge City. Show some restraint.”

Dewey grinned shamelessly. “And you represent Black Mountain, don’t you? Our cities have traded with each other for years. Surely we should strengthen those ties—and get to know each other a little more intimately.”

Finn shook his head and stepped in front of Olivia.

Dewey had been so focused on her that he only now noticed Finn. He was about to say something impatiently when his expression changed drastically, and his sunglasses nearly slipped off his nose.

He pulled a crumpled sheet of paper from his trouser pocket and hurriedly unfolded it.

It was a confidential message from the Radiant Path, requesting Antonio’s cooperation regarding the bounty on Finn. Despite how badly crumpled the paper was, the covert photograph of Finn remained crystal clear. In it, Finn stood tall and powerfully built, his black coat fluttering in the wind and his dark eyes sharp as blades.

After comparing the picture to Finn several times, Dewey removed his sunglasses. His flippant, frivolous air vanished. He bent slightly at the waist and offered his hand.

“Mr. Finn, meeting you today is the greatest stroke of luck in my life. Let’s be friends. Whatever you need, just say the word. If it’s within my power, Antonio won’t refuse you.”

Finn smiled faintly, giving no indication of what he thought. He politely shook Dewey’s hand, releasing it almost as soon as their palms touched.

Olivia moved closer to Finn, warmth blooming in her heart. Her master was so formidable that his mere appearance had made Dewey change his tune completely. The unease stirred by the Radiant Path’s interference gradually faded from her mind.

“I don’t know much about what happened at Black Mountain,” Dewey said tentatively. “May I ask if the esteemed Darius Smith is still in good health?”

“He...” Olivia pressed her lips tightly together. “He gave his life.”

Dewey sucked in a sharp breath and placed a hand against his forehead.

“That is terrible news. My father will be devastated when he finds out. He’d always hoped to see Darius one last time before his own time came. Now he’ll never have the chance.”