Chapter 7: The Black Contract, Section 2

Flickering Signboards
I look down as they come toward me—
Souls on the streets, all for sale.
Foolishly thinking
That’s what they love most.
I quietly control those desires.
Begging the devil for vain pride.
The black contract is like hidden currents under moonlight.
Woh.
I coldly touch your sorrow.
Woh~
It’s just an exchange, no love.
An indescribable gloom outside the pitch-black window.
The shadows on the wall are simple—
No longer there.
The expression on my face is cruel—
No expectations.
Which of us is corrupted, me or you, as the wind sweeps by?
Begging the devil for vain pride.
The black contract is like hidden currents under moonlight.
Woh.
I coldly touch your sorrow.
Woh~
It’s just an exchange, no love.
Giving up or continuing—doesn’t matter.
Who will rule? Who will be happy? Who will be hurt?
It all will end here.
The pistol is slowly loaded with dignity.
Loneliness is my last impression.
Woh.
I coldly touch your sorrow.
Woh~
Nono… it’s just an exchange, no love.
Woh~
You coldly gaze at my sorrow.
Woh~
It’s just an exchange, no love.
A deep melody softly plays in the space, enveloping the entire warship in a strange atmosphere. In the room below, Baroka, like a wolf with its tail stepped on, suddenly jumps up. His obese body shows an unexpected agility as he dashes to the door in one stride and pulls the still-drowsy sentinel along.
“Did you hear anything?”
“No!” The sentinel is confused, barely keeping his eyes open.
“How is that possible!!” The fat man erupts in anger, lifting the sentinel up as if he were a chick.
“Listen! Listen carefully. That sound!”
“What… what sound?” The sentinel’s eyes widen in terror; he feels his lungs being squeezed flat. He trembles violently. Facing this terrifying leader, whether they’re his subordinates or enemies, no one ever dares to show any courage. The poor sandbandit can only barely lift his ears, trying to catch what the leader is talking about.
“Hmm… it seems… like a song. But… I can’t… understand it…” With his last bit of strength, he manages to utter a few words, his face turning red instantly.
“That’s right, it’s a song!” Baroka’s expression grows colder, a fierce glint appearing in his small eyes. He throws the sentinel to the ground.
“Immediately gather all the brothers and bring their weapons! Now!! Right away!!”
“Yes!” The sentinel scrambles out at top speed.

In the room, the deep melody gradually grew louder. Baroka’s face turned ashen, his eyes flashing with fury, yet he remained motionless—almost like a statue.
Roughness on the surface didn’t necessarily mean rudeness. Baroka had roamed the desert for nearly a decade, plundering countless times without ever failing. It was impossible to say he lacked skill. Although this stronghold had only been chosen recently and hadn’t been thoroughly explored, Baroka never believed that a steel ruin dormant for countless years could suddenly come back to life. There was only one possibility: someone was here!
Baroka’s chest heaved rapidly as he felt the corruption in the deep melody. Suddenly, the image of a man with black hair flashed through his mind. Could it be him?
The sand bandits moved with incredible speed. Almost as soon as the order was given, a group of hunched men rushed into the room, each armed. Without any further orders, they surrounded Baroka, their faces filled with vigilance.
The melody in the air grew increasingly dark…
Satisfied with his men’s performance, the fat Baroka suddenly wore a ferocious smile. Waving his thick hand, he ordered, “Search everywhere! Dig to the bottom if necessary to find the source of this sound! Use armor-piercing beams to clear all blocked passages—immediately!”
At the same time, the man with black hair in the control room wore a similar smile. A finger gleaming with metallic light reached out to a red button.
“The game… begins.”
“Click!” The button was pressed.
“Bang! Bang!” Almost simultaneously, a giant steel monster suddenly let out a deafening roar. All the walls burst with intense light, illuminating every corner of the space. Countless hidden compartments flipped open neatly. Rows of dark gun muzzles resembled the eyes of death.
“What!!”
Stunned by the changes before him, the fat man was utterly horrified. His raised hand hung in the air, unable to lower it. His small eyes widened in disbelief at what he saw.
But it was already too late. He wasn’t a god.
“Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!”
Gunfire erupted in an instant, dense as a storm. Three-meter-long flames burst from the dark gun muzzles, eagerly lashing out at the fresh flesh below. Countless agonized screams echoed through the spacious room.
The melody accelerated…

Blood, shredded flesh, and flying limbs… instantly became the most glaring things in the room. The agonizing screams were like whispers from the depths of hell. These experienced sand pirates had never seen such a scene before. Not to mention fighting back, those who could stay somewhat conscious were already considered talented. Although many of the defensive weapons had lost their effectiveness over time, unlike ordinary weapons, their power came not from gunpowder but from electromagnetic pulses. Not only were they as deadly as gunpowder-based weapons, but their firing speed was even greater. Even just one of them in operation was enough to bring terrifying disaster upon the sand pirates.

Yet the sand pirates weren’t completely defenseless. Most of those closest to Baroka were equipped with heavy armor and shields used by mercenaries, offering surprisingly high protection. They managed to push Baroka to a corner despite the hail of bullets, securing a sliver of hope for him.

“Bang bang bang bang…” Amidst the rapid gunfire, Baroka watched his men, whom he had trained so hard, turn into piles of bloody flesh. Pain flashed in his eyes, and his thick fat face trembled, but he couldn’t utter a word.

It’s over. Everything is over. The team he had built over ten years, the effort he had put in—everything was gone in an instant. Those bodies exploding out of nowhere, that flying blood… all of it tore at Baroka’s heart. For a moment, he even felt as if nothing was real.

“No!!”

A wild roar finally burst from his mouth. His mountain-like body suddenly stood up, and he grabbed the shield of one of his guards. With blood-red eyes, Baroka charged forward.

“Leader!” his guards cried behind him, their faces filled with terror. They knew their leader was about to go all in. Saving a few of his men meant gaining a better chance. Equipment could be replaced, but losing people—few would want to become sand pirates again.

“Hmph! Quite a nice fat guy,” said the black-haired man in the control room, expressing genuine admiration. But in just a moment, his admiration was replaced by another voice.

“But if you know how important your companions are, then why did you treat me like that?”

Fingers danced rapidly across the keyboard, and data composed of countless characters appeared on the screen like a waterfall. The speed was lightning-fast, with each character appearing and disappearing in an instant. The tapping sound of the keyboard was even more intense than the gunshots below. Eventually, the fingers stopped on a small black button. With a cold gaze, she pressed it down.

“Click!” All the gunshots stopped at once. The dark gun muzzles, like soldiers receiving orders, neatly retracted into the walls. The dark covers then snapped shut, emitting a crisp sound.

By this time, there were less than ten people left in the hall…

What? Baroka stopped in his tracks in shock, standing there confusedly with his giant shield in hand. His small eyes stared at the location of the covers on the wall, filled with confusion.

Just then…

“Leader!! Run!!” A panicked shout came from behind Baroka. Startled, he turned around abruptly. His face turned pale instantly.

Behind him, that solid wall had disappeared without warning, replaced by a massive cannon barrel…