Chapter 26: Civil Unrest, Section 3

It’s Thunderstorm!
A flash of insight crossed Black Hair’s mind. He now understood what Little Norby meant by his words. He remembered how he had described his guards just to cover up, and it seemed Thunderstorm had caught him at it. This Thunderstorm must have come looking for trouble. In the blink of an eye, information about the Mammoth tribe flashed through Black Hair’s mind, instantly souring his mood.

A body as tough as super-strong alloys, physical strength surpassing that of machines, and an absurdly destructive power—such a race, even without their legendary Dark Gold armor, was not something ordinary people could handle. To put it bluntly, none of the people around him could compare to them. Not even the genetically modified Blood-Eyed ones!

“Troublesome indeed…” Black Hair straightened his back and raised his head, immediately meeting a fierce gaze.

It was that towering man over five meters tall—Thunderstorm!!

With a human-like appearance, it was only up close that Black Hair noticed his uniqueness. His skin was dark brown, appearing strangely blurred under the bright hall lights, as if shrouded in mist. Curious, Black Hair focused his eyes and realized there was a layer of tiny scales on his skin. These scales seemed to be vibrating rapidly, distorting the light that hit them. That’s why it was impossible to see his true appearance clearly.

Noticing this detail, Black Hair’s heart skipped a beat, and his expression worsened even further.

Scales that vibrated at high frequencies could distort light—that was just one of their surface functions. How could the experienced Black Hair fail to think of their other abilities? Multiplying defense, armor similar to biological tissue, and spikes that could protrude instantly—these highly effective close-combat tactics were likely within Thunderstorm’s grasp, perhaps even more…

A word flashed through Black Hair’s mind… stealth, allowing him to completely blend into his surroundings?

No way. With Thunderstorm’s build, such advanced techniques were probably beyond him. Black Hair could only comfort himself like that.

While Black Hair was observing Thunderstorm, unbeknownst to him, Thunderstorm was also watching him.

As the most outstanding general of the Mammoth Clan, Thunderstorm was not just a brute who only knew how to destroy, as the rumors claimed. In fact, he had a quite delicate mind. Just like now—although he used his usual imposing presence to suppress those armed merchants mentioned in the rumors, inwardly he was carefully assessing the strength of people like the black-haired one.

Hmm, they were Bor clan members. But different from ordinary Bor people—they were clearly seasoned veterans. The guards behind them had bloodshot eyes, bulging muscles, and thick calluses on their fingers; they must often operate mechs. That bloodthirsty gaze shouldn’t be typical of Bor people. It was more like that of the butchers under his own command.

In front of those guards were likely the merchant’s personal bodyguards, with well-proportioned muscles. They must be speed-focused warriors—slim fingers, steady movements, and even breathing. They were probably skilled with firearms. Oh, that gaze… so familiar. It was the kind only someone who kills indiscriminately would have. They were a step ahead of the guards behind them—no longer bloodthirsty. How to put it? Right, numbness. Indifference to blood. He was a formidable opponent.

As for this merchant… Hmm!?

Thunderstorm’s pupils widened dramatically, his face showing an expression of disbelief.

Extremely… extremely dangerous?

In his eyes, this merchant named Beck was hardly different from all other Bor merchants. The only difference was his calmness.

He was incredibly calm. Even under his imposing presence, this merchant remained as usual—his breathing unchanged, his gaze steady!! On the contrary, when Thunderstorm looked at him, for some reason, he felt a prickle on his back.

The intuition of a top warrior made Thunderstorm’s heart pound. His expression changed, and he unintentionally stepped back a little, creating a distance of about a arm’s length.

At that moment, the attention of everyone around also focused on them, and the group immediately became the center of attention in the hall.

“Hey! I’m asking you—are you those armed merchants who claim to be stronger than the Mammoth Clan warriors!?” Thunderstorm’s voice was loud enough to be heard throughout the hall. Miss Veri, who was on the stage, also cast a surprised glance. Apparently, she didn’t understand why her bodyguards would lose their temper in such a situation.

Faced with Thunderstorm’s aggressive attitude, the black-haired man frowned. Yet, he still bowed respectfully, as a Bor merchant should, crossing his arms in a greeting gesture.

“Hello, esteemed General Thunderstorm. I am indeed a merchant warrior. But I’ve never thought I could be stronger than the great Mammoth warriors. Could it be… you’ve mistaken me for someone else?”
“Liar! You clearly said your guards were even stronger than Mammoth warriors!” It was Little Noby’s voice.
Hei Fa sneered inwardly. Turning his head, he met Little Noby’s gloating gaze, and a scornful smile appeared on his lips.
“Oh? Did I really say that? Do you have any proof? I remember the Imperial Code—accusing a merchant of lying is a serious crime. Even if you’re a war slave, this crime isn’t trivial, is it?”
“You!” Panic flashed in Little Noby’s eyes. “How dare you deny it? You’re lying! You don’t deserve to be a merchant!”
Hearing this, the guests immediately cast suspicious looks at Hei Fa and the others.
In the Moor Empire, merchants’ reputations were highly protected. If a merchant was found lying, he would be stripped of his right to trade, and his entire clan would suffer severe reputational damage. Generally, the fate of such a liar was far worse than death. Likewise, accusing a merchant of lying was also a grave crime. Aside from the Moor royal family and a few high-ranking races, anyone who committed this crime was practically seeking death.
Little Noby was one of the two war slaves competing for control of the war. His accusations against a Bor merchant immediately caught the attention of all the guests in the hall. No matter who won in the end, it was bound to be a lively affair.
Xue Tong and the others stood behind Hei Fa with their arms crossed, sneering at Little Noby.
Damn it, trying to play tricks on the boss—such a foolhardy move. After all this time, no one has ever managed to get ahead by dealing with the boss. Even Marshal Wick, that old fox, ended up obeying the boss anyway. What kind of power do you, a kid, have? Do you think this is still an era where loyalty is honored among knights?
Little Noby was thrown off balance. He probably never expected the usually honest Bor people to have such a liar among them. But even if he knew Hei Fa was lying, he couldn’t do anything since he had no evidence. In his panic, he found himself stuck between two choices.
Hei Fa, unyielding in his conviction, sneered and shrugged at General Thunderstorm in front of him.

“Respected General Thunderstorm, you see for yourself. It’s this ally who’s framing me. In truth, I’m just an ordinary armed merchant. For this banquet hosted by the noble Miss Veli, I even prepared a black pearl from the frozen depths of the sea as a gift. This guy must have set his eyes on this priceless black pearl and that’s why he did this.”

Hearing Black Hair’s explanation, the crowd around him immediately burst into exclamations of awe. The gazes directed at him also became much friendlier. Even Miss Veli on the stage’s eyes lit up instantly.

A black pearl? That’s something even the Moor royal family rarely sees!! It’s said to be a rare treasure that can only be found on the coldest seabeds. Anyone who owns jewelry made from such a black pearl will surely become the focus of any ball!!

Just by looking at the countless ornaments adorning Miss Veli’s body, one can tell how fanatical her love for jewelry is. How could she resist hearing the word “black pearl” now? She immediately whispered something to her servant.

Actually, there was no need to wait for her orders, as Black Hair’s explanation made perfect sense. In that moment, General Thunderstorm’s gaze also turned toward that little Nobi. His fierce aura made the small ally’s face turn pale, and he was on the verge of crying. He stammered, but couldn’t say anything.

There was nothing he could do—he wasn’t one of Black Hair’s Blood Wolf Pirates. Though he belonged to the War Slave race, how could he remain calm under General Thunderstorm’s fierce aura? At that moment, he was utterly speechless, overwhelmed by a wave of complex negative emotions—anger, fear, terror, and timidity—that nearly knocked him out.

“Someone!!” General Thunderstorm shouted, about to issue an order. Suddenly, a voice rang out beside him.

“Wait! This reptile has insulted my master. I demand a duel with him! In the name of the subordinate races!!”

Everyone was stunned. When they looked over, they saw that it was the bodyguard following Black Hair who had spoken.

Blood Eyes!?

Black Hair frowned, about to say something. But Blood Eyes’ voice rang in his ear first.

“Leader, I think I’ve guessed your plan. But before that, don’t you think you should show some strength? The Moors only recognize the strong.”

Black Hair was taken aback, but quickly regained his composure. He gave Blood Eyes a gentle smile. When he turned to face General Thunderstorm, his expression had turned angry.

“These people from this allied land have slandered me. Though I am an armed merchant, I cannot tolerate this. General Thunderstorm, please allow me to resolve this in my own way.”
“Let them duel! Duel!!” The guests in the arena immediately shouted in unison, their faces filled with excitement and enthusiasm…