Chapter 26: Civil Unrest, Section 5

Everyone looked up simultaneously and immediately saw two figures on the stage—one tall and one short.
The tall one was, of course, Bloodpupil. Even after disguise, he stood at three meters tall. His muscles weren’t as bulging as those of other pirates, but they gave off a whip-like tension, with immense vitality condensed within his body, making everyone who saw him frown. A large brace on his right hand caught the eye sharply, reflecting colorful glimmers under the bright lights of the hall.
In contrast, Little Norbi looked rather shabby. Though he also belonged to the War Slave race, the people of Mengtu were not known for individual combat skills. Their true strength lay in coordinated mass tactics. In fact, the Mengtu possessed a rare psychic intuition in this universe—allowing them to connect with each other through strange mental waves within a certain distance, exchanging information. Thus, when it came to battlefield coordination, few races were better than them.
But in terms of individual combat, they were probably not even one-tenth as good as ordinary warriors.
Still, as a member of the War Slave race, Little Norbi had his own combat prowess. Realizing there was no way back, this short Mengtu individual mustered up his courage. His face grew solemn. After fiddling in his bosom for a while, he pulled out a dagger that gleamed coldly.
The dagger was small, only thirty centimeters long. It was curved throughout, with an extremely thin yet razor-sharp blade. Under the light, it reflected a cold gleam from time to time. From afar, it resembled a tooth.
“Hellhound Fang!!” Some of the guests nearby, who recognized it, couldn’t help but exclaim in shock.
Hearing this name, the expressions of all the onlookers changed. Whispers arose instantly, filling the entire hall like buzzing flies.
Hei Fa noticed this and felt somewhat puzzled.
“Why, is that dagger so famous?”

“Hehe. It can be considered famous. Hellhound Fang is a self-defense dagger made of Polymetal. When it cuts into an enemy’s body, it triggers a strong corrosive reaction. It’s one of the individual weapons capable of destroying alloy armor. Generally, only high-ranking soldiers of the Empire are equipped with it. I wonder where this guy got it. It seems there are some pests in our army.” General Thunderstorm explained with a hehe, a cold glint suddenly appearing in his eyes. He bowed respectfully to Miss Veli beside him and said, “After this banquet, I will conduct an inspection of the troops at this base. I will definitely identify and deal harshly with those who traffic in military supplies. Please rest assured, my lady.”

Kurokami noticed that at this moment, Miss Veli’s smile also disappeared. She nodded lightly. “Just handle it. Be careful not to make too much noise.”

“Understood. I know what to do,” General Thunderstorm replied with a fierce grin.

Seeing this, Kurokami’s heart immediately tightened. His opinion of the renowned Miss Veli completely changed.

So, she’s not just a figurehead after all. This is getting troublesome. Hehe…

At this time, Bloodpupil on the stage also took out his weapon.

His left hand touched his right wristguard, and a white light suddenly flashed, blinding those around him. When their vision cleared again, they saw that this three-meter-tall giant now held a club as big as his body!! The surface of the club was covered with blue spikes, clearly coated in deadly poison!!

“Wow!!!” Gasps filled the air; almost everyone couldn’t believe their eyes.

“A subspace device!!” General Thunderstorm growled. His gaze toward Kurokami had changed.

“Lord Beck, a subspace device is high-end equipment of the Empire. How did you get it???”

“Oh? Is it high-end equipment?” Kurokami looked innocent. “I don’t know. I got it from the black market. It’s said to be able to hold objects up to five square meters. I thought it would be good for storing weapons, so I bought it. Is it that dangerous?”

“Only five square meters? Thunderstorm, there’s no need to get so excited. Although subspace devices are high-end technology of the Empire, it’s not unusual to find them on the black market. A five-square-meter subspace storage unit isn’t a big deal.” Miss Veli, sensing the awkward atmosphere, smoothly defused the situation.

Hearing this, General Thunderstorm finally nodded skeptically, saying nothing more.

“Pfft!!” Blood sprayed into the air as a shrill scream shook the entire venue. In contrast, the guests let out wild and excited howls.
Hei Ba and the others suddenly looked up and saw Blood Pupil swing a stick, sending Xiao Nuobi flying.
There was nothing to do—there was simply too big a gap in strength. Despite Xiao Nuobi giving it his all, compared to Blood Pupil, he was far inferior in agility, speed, strength, experience, and skill.
When Xiao Nuobi charged at him, Blood Pupil didn’t even lift his eyelids. With just a subtle step, his entire body shifted three meters to the side, narrowly avoiding Xiao Nuobi’s fierce slash. Immediately afterward, with a swing of his right hand, another figure flew into the sky, screaming in agony. A torrent of blood poured down, covering the entire stage in bloodshed.
It was too violent, too cruel.
The bloody scene instantly provoked the surrounding guests into screaming. Almost everyone waved their arms, throwing anything they could onto the stage—necklaces, wine glasses, food—everything was thrown.
But perhaps because Blood Pupil showed mercy, Xiao Nuobi, who had flown into the sky, wasn’t dead. He continued to scream pitifully before falling back down, crashing heavily onto the stage. A gush of blood sprayed out, splattering the audience around him. When they looked again, his left arm was completely gone, leaving only a bloody mess.
The Blood Wolf Pirates around him immediately started howling loudly, their faces twisted with excitement. Seeing their leader Blood Pupil in action was like them fighting themselves—they were beyond excitement.
Seeing Xiao Nuobi’s miserable state, Hei Ba sighed. Suddenly, his heart softened as he remembered how hard this kid had worked when he first arrived here. Though it might have been part of his scheme, Hei Ba still couldn’t help but feel sympathy. Noticing Blood Pupil’s gaze turn toward him, he subtly curled his lips.
Seeing this, Blood Pupil immediately showed a cruel smile. He pulled the limp Xiao Nuobi to his feet, pretending to be terrifying. “Kid, daring to slander my master! I definitely can’t let you go this time!! According to our Beck family’s traditions, you have only two choices now. Either let me kill you, or… hmmm…”
“Or… what?” Xiao Nuobi’s face turned pale, filled with despair. His thin body trembled uncontrollably. He clutched his left arm’s wound with his right hand, but couldn’t stop the blood from gushing out.

Any intelligent being would never miss even the slightest glimmer of hope in despair. Little Norbi was no exception. After his plot failed, he thought his only option was death, but to his surprise, the tone of this Palace Guard member softened. How could he not be overjoyed? His eyes immediately lit up, showing a pitiful expression.

The situation was already bad enough—how much worse could it get? It was still better than being a slave, right?

“What if…” Blood-Pupil sneered. “My master’s warship is short of someone to fill the cannon barrels.”

“…” Little Norbi rolled his eyes, almost fainting from shock.

What retribution! He often ordered others to fill the cannon barrels, yet now it was his turn. Truly, karma never fails. But did he have any other choice? He could only nod repeatedly, his pale face devoid of any color.

A duel ending in such a dramatic outcome—no one around him, not even he himself, could have predicted it. Instantly, the excited shouts turned into furious roars. Every guest’s face showed an expression of humiliation.

Dueling was a highly sacred practice in the Moore Empire. Blood-Pupil’s actions were undoubtedly a grave offense.

Even General Storm, who had always supported the black-haired man, showed anger. He suddenly roared, “No!!!”

“What’s no?” Blood-Pupil stood on the platform, stretching lazily, holding a huge club in his right hand as he effortlessly spun it. With a glance out of the corner of his eye, he said, “I am the winner.”

“That still doesn’t count!!! Duels are sacred—private compromises are not allowed!!! As an imperial general, I demand that you continue fighting until you die or kill him!!!” General Storm glared fiercely, his violent aura evident.

Unfortunately, the Blood Wolf Pirates, who had always followed the even more formidable black-haired man, were already immune to such weak displays of authority. Blood-Pupil didn’t even lift his eyes; with one hand, he threw Little Norbi down, right beside the Blood Wolf Pirates below.

“Go, heal him. Even as cannon fodder, one must meet certain standards.”

“You!!!” General Storm was furious. He glared at the black-haired man. “Lord Beck, what does your guard mean by this?”

“He means…” The black-haired man smiled slyly, though outwardly he appeared respectful. “We should follow the rules of the Beck family.”

“What rules!?” General Storm was astonished.

“The winner takes all, the loser is nothing.” The black-haired man reached into his pocket and lit a cigarette for himself.

Circles of smoke slowly rose…