Andrew Cooper no longer wished to live those days filled with hardship.
He was tired of being poor, tired of being hungry... For this reason, he didn't hesitate to offer his childhood sweetheart, also his wife Miranda, to the esteemed Lord Knight in exchange for the "entry permit" to Bandar City... In hindsight, his decision proved right... His wife Miranda was doing well, and was now said to be Lord Knight's most beloved concubine....
Recently, Lord Edmond even rewarded him with a small bag of gold coins, telling him Miranda was doing very well, and because of her, other knights from the security group engaged in "deep and shallow" interactions with her, unanimously agreeing... her skills were no less than those succubi renowned "for serving with allure"...
Andrew Cooper, of course, knew this,
He was both relieved and excited that by using Miranda to navigate the beds of the various lords of the security group, he finally awaited an opportunity that could change the trajectory of his life —
Not long ago,
Lord Edmond found him and informed him... Frank Beck, the one from the 4K Party, a fat man specifically responsible for serving a distinguished figure in the Samir Principality, had mysteriously died... Andrew Cooper immediately realized the opportunity he had awaited for over a decade had arrived!
He immediately knelt down, holding Lord Edmond's right foot, kissed the shoe surface, and swore he would do everything in his power to take over Frank Beck's duties, rally the remnants of the 4K Party, and take charge of connecting Bandar City with the Samir Principality, becoming an unnoticed bridge under the attempt to regulate [Storm] by the security group, shedding his identity as an outcast, and returning to under the sway of [Storm]....
Of course, the premise was—
He must abide by the rules of Bandar City, starting by handling the matter of [Soul Repose]!
[Soul Repose] was said to be a "Nenryoku" of a certain vice-captain of the security group, with the precondition for activation being, first, voluntary, and second, being eaten by a Magical Beast... "Voluntary," according to Lord Edmond during a drunken talk, seemed to be to avoid being "backlashed" by something... being eaten by a Magical Beast, Lord Edmond didn't elaborate, but,
Based on Andrew Cooper's observations, it might be related to a certain secret deal between the security group and a [Magical Beast Lord].
After all, Magical Beasts do eat humans, especially... "Nen users", such tender and delectable food!
Andrew Cooper stood on the thick trunk of a towering tree, holding a delicate "Nen Device hand crossbow," beside him stood a tall bald man clad in heavy armor, carrying a large round shield on his shoulder, a sneak arrow attack, unexpectedly split in half by a backhanded sword strike from the unassuming boy before him....
He looked down, his gaze bypassing Roy, fixated on Old Mark, and said indifferently: "Old man, you wouldn't want your precious granddaughter to be unable to enter the city, would you?"
Old Mark's body trembled, shakily picked up a rock from the ground, and smashed it hard against his own head... "Bang!"
In an instant, a white flash of the blade appeared... Old Mark felt his palm empty, the rock he held was shredded into hundreds of tiny fragments mid-air, as if struck by a sword storm, falling soundlessly to the ground!
"Young man," Old Mark was first stunned, then glanced at his wife, already a specter, Lady Nora, nearly pleading, "Please don't stop me... You know everything... My wretched life means nothing if I die, but... my little Mattie must live...."
"Mark...." Lady Nora gently caressed Old Mark's face, turned, and floated to Roy's feet, prostrating on the ground, pleading alongside him, "For the sake of the [Storm], please don't stop him....."
Roy's gaze was stirred, an unprecedented sense of absurdity arose in his heart, "saving someone is also a mistake,"
He tilted his head back to look at Andrew Cooper in the tree, understanding the source of the absurdity, then shifted his gaze downward, towards the leather-wrapped small flask hanging at the opponent's waist, projecting [En], vaguely hearing a "sorrowful" call, seemingly crying... "Grandpa....""Grandma...."
Grandpa... Grandma... Whose grandpa, whose grandma?!
The young man couldn't help but close his eyes, his sword horizontal, back to Old Mark, passing by Lady Nora's head prostrated on the ground, stepping forward, speaking coldly: "Mr. Mark, I must emphasize,"
"Earlier, I stopped you merely because, as a [Human], I don't wish to associate with beasts."
The sword in his hand turned red, ignited, and then with a "whoosh," a raging flame surged forth, illuminating the forest, the sky brightened.....
Roy held the sword single-handedly, the tip slanted upward, under the dumbfounded gaze of Old Mark and Lady Nora, and watched Andrew Cooper indifferently, "As for now, I have done what I should, since you are set on seeking death, then please do as you wish, I shall no longer stop you."
As he spoke, there was another sharp sword cry,
The surging flame suddenly retracted, and then all flowed back into the sword, directly painting the [Eclipse] a hue of "remnant fire embers" black!
Roy turned his back on the two, slowly walking forward: "But there is one more thing I deem necessary to tell you both...."
"Death may be right, in that,"
"You can reunite with your precious granddaughter, little Mattie!"
"Reu...reunite...." Old Mark and his wife, Nora, were both startled, the former seemed to realize something, struggling to get up and shout at the young man: "What do you mean?"
"Literally." With a "swoosh," a sword strike crossed nearly 100 meters, tearing through the air, slashing towards Andrew Cooper... Roy pointed the tip of the sword upward slightly and said, "Rather than asking me, why not ask him where the flask at his waist came from!"