Footsteps came to a complete halt outside the door.
One second.
Then, the cracked glass door was pushed open with a sharp creak.
Three men entered first. Leading them was a tall man with sallow, pale skin, wearing a dark green leather jacket with the collar pulled up to cover half his chin. His gaze swept across the store like a "snake slithering through grass"—cold, slick, and full of calculated malice.
Behind him were two thugs holding iron rods and daggers. Their eyes were fixed on Thanh Dao and Lam Thanh Moc, making no effort to hide their lewd intentions.
The tall, thin man chuckled, his voice hoarse. "Oh, look. Survivors."
He took a deep breath as if savoring a scent in the air. "Quite a full house."
Van Binh leaned against the counter, raising an eyebrow. "It's just a convenience store. Did you really need to make an entrance like that?"
One of the thugs behind the leader laughed. "Boss, looks like these guys don't know the rules."
The tall man raised his hand, a smile still hanging on his lips, but his eyes turned dead cold. "The rules are simple."
"Leave the goods."
"The two girls stay, too."
He flicked his gaze toward Thanh Dao and then Lam Thanh Moc with filth in his eyes.
Before Van Thieu could speak, Van Binh let out a loud laugh. "Ha. What did you just say?"
The tall man narrowed his eyes. "Something wrong with your ears?"
Thuong Sinh took a step forward, moving very slowly. The midday light hit half of his face, leaving the other half submerged in shadow.
"You're a Poison-attribute Ability user."
It wasn't a question. The tall man froze for half a beat, then laughed. "You've got an eye for detail. But so what if you know?"
He raised his hand. A pale green mist, nearly invisible to the naked eye, began to slowly spread through the store. "By the time you recognize the smell, you'll be dead without knowing how."
At that exact moment—
Zip—!
A vine shot out from behind a shelf, wrapping directly around his neck and jerking him backward.
"What—?!"
The poison user barely roared before—
Bam—!
A fist slammed into his face. It wasn't Thuong Sinh.
It was Van Binh. His fist landed like a sledgehammer, sending the man's head snapping to the side, blood and teeth mingling in his mouth.
Crash—!
He slammed into a shelf, causing it to collapse. Before he could draw breath—
THUD!
The second blow shattered his nose, twisting his face completely to one side. He collapsed, the poisonous gas around him dissipating as his body trembled uncontrollably.
"I told you not to talk so much," Van Binh spat.
The two lackeys stood agape, watching their boss be beaten so pathetically. One thug roared and swung his iron rod at Van Binh, but before he could connect—
Thwack!
An elbow from So Sinh struck him squarely in the ribs, sending the rod flying. The thug clutched his side and crumpled to his knees, gasping for air.
The remaining one tried to rush in to help, but—
Swoosh—!
A vine from Lam Thanh Moc lashed his wrist, sending his weapon flying. He was yanked to the floor, pinned motionless.
Van Binh didn't even look back. He gave a light kick to the chest of the standing thug, who staggered and tumbled into a corner, face covered in blood but still breathing.
Van Thieu stepped forward. "Situation controlled. Keep them alive, don't kill them."
Van Binh chuckled, lightly kicking the fallen poison user whose face was swollen purple. "He won't die, but I doubt he'll be poisoning anyone else anytime soon."
At that moment, the men who had been circling the back rushed in, panicking. They were about to shout when their eyes landed on the scene... their boss was sprawled at Van Binh's feet, face unrecognizable, eyes shut tight, hands twitching.
The remaining two froze, legs shaking. Their eyes darted around the room, but none dared to move. Thuong Sinh's group stared at the newcomers with gazes as sharp as knives. Without needing an order, the two thugs automatically knelt, trembling.
Van Binh burst into a slightly crazed laugh. "Ha! It's good when kids know how to behave!"
He quickly pulled a coil of rope from his bag, looped it around their wrists, and bound them tightly. They squirmed, but their muscles were overwhelmed by the group's sheer presence; they couldn't resist.
Thuong Sinh stood still, his sword hanging low. His cold gaze swept over them, but he did not strike. The other members stood around, forming a circle of suppression. Every footstep and movement carried a weight that made the thugs dare not flinch.
Once they were all tied up, Van Binh finished the job cleanly. Ropes were tightened around wrists and crossed behind backs. Some were tied together in a cluster, piled on the floor with mouths gagged with dirty rags pulled from the shelves.
Van Binh dusted off his hands and stood up, nodding with satisfaction. "Alright, job done."
Just then, the "pig-faced" leader groaned and opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was the ceiling, then the blurred faces of strangers, and finally, his men tied up like cargo.
His pupils shrank violently. "Damn you...!"
He struggled instinctively, but even a slight movement of his swollen face brought a surge of pain that made him gasp. He gnashed his teeth, staring at Thuong Sinh's group with eyes full of venom. "If you aren't afraid of death, untie me right now!"
He paused for breath, then hissed every word: "Do you know who my boss is? It's Thanh Xà (Green Snake)! Daring to touch Green Snake's people is the same as seeking your own grave!"
The air in the store went silent. No one in the group replied immediately. Van Thieu only glanced at him with a gaze so calm it was chilling, as if looking at an insignificant pest. Thanh Dao tilted her head, a hint of disgust in her eyes, as if the name "Green Snake" carried no weight at all. Lam Thanh Moc crossed her arms, the vines at her feet tightening silently.
Van Binh let out a short, contemptuous laugh. He stepped in front of the leader and leaned down, looking directly into the bruised face. "Oh, Green Snake?"
Van Binh clicked his tongue and shook his head. "Sounds terrifying."
He reached out and gave the man a very light pat on the cheek, yet it was enough to make him shudder in pain. "But what a shame... we haven't seen a single snake that's made us feel afraid yet."
He stood straight and turned to Thuong Sinh. Thuong Sinh remained there, silent. His calm gaze drifted over the thug as if looking at a corpse. That single look made the leader feel a chill down his spine and goosebumps all over his body; the threat half-formed in his throat suddenly choked him.
"What do we do with this lot?" Van Binh asked.
Van Thieu pondered for a moment. "Let them be. We continue southwest and leave them here. I've already marked this location for reinforcements; at most, they'll be here in a day or two."
Van Binh grinned at the trembling thugs. "So they'll be stuck here hungry and thirsty for a day or two. Won't die."
Hearing the word "die," the thugs began to shake even harder. One shouted in fear, "Untie us now!"
Ignoring their screams, Thuong Sinh's group turned and walked out of the store. The midday air was muggy, and the sunlight reflecting off the ruins illuminated dried bloodstains in dark red patches.
Van Thieu led the way, his communicator hanging at his hip, his steps firm. Van Binh followed, eyes bright with a smirk. "Leaving them alive like that is scarier. Those brats will remember this for the rest of their lives."
Thanh Dao walked a beat behind, silent, her eyes scanning every direction. Thuong Sinh took the rear alongside Lam Thanh Moc, his sword at his hip, his gaze occasionally flickering to the sides of the road.
As they walked through rows of ruined houses, the road was full of cracks and scattered bloodstains. No one spoke; there was only the sound of footsteps. Lam Thanh Moc, walking beside Thuong Sinh, stole a glance at the scar on his face.
Thuong Sinh, sensing the gaze, immediately looked around and met her eyes. They locked gazes for a few seconds before Lam Thanh Moc snapped back to reality and turned away, her ears turning bright red.
"Is something the matter?" he asked.
Lam Thanh Moc hesitated. "It's... nothing."
Distracted by her thoughts, she accidentally tripped over a curb, her momentum sending her falling forward. Thuong Sinh was swift; in a single stride, he caught her, placing a hand on her shoulder to steady her. His gaze was quiet but lacked any reproach.
"Be more careful," he said, his voice low but clear.
Lam Thanh Moc was startled, her face turning even redder. She stepped back and cleared her throat. "Yeah... I know."
Van Thieu, still observing the road ahead, narrowed his eyes at the shadows between the buildings. "Keep moving. We're far from the stop. Don't slow down."
Thuong Sinh took up the rear again, his eyes never leaving the street, yet occasionally sweeping over the team. The path ahead grew darker as the shadows of the tall, ruined buildings lengthened. The atmosphere began to grow heavy.
Van Binh slowed down to walk parallel with Thuong Sinh, smirking. "Our walk through here has been quite peaceful. Don't know if that's good luck or bad..."
"Stop," Thuong Sinh's voice was low but hard, ringing out in the empty street.
The group slowed immediately, eyes scanning the area. Van Binh, interrupted mid-sentence, got into a stance and asked, "What is it?"
Thuong Sinh stood still, looking around without answering. He felt as though someone was watching the group. His eyes fixed on a tall, ruined building ahead—a small figure was peeking out from a window, observing them.