The Devil’s Cage

While traveling on the train, Kieran opened the invitation from Burning Bottle.

Similar to the sole marking on the envelope, the inside of the invitation was simple as well.

“19th Cyron Path.”

There was just an address in the invitation but it was enough for Kieran.

It was exactly where he needed to go, get the information from the people there and kill them.

As for resolving everything with a peaceful retreat?

What a joke. With the malicious intent mixed with killer aura, Kieran didn’t think it was possible for him to walk out peacefully from Hilton’s place.

However, there was a single point Kieran didn’t expect.

Burning Bottle’s leader, Hilton was related to the guardians of the Witch’s Legacy.

According to Karles, Hilton wasn’t just a guardian, he was a leader of sorts with a certain position and authority.

“Then… does Burning Bottle exist just to conceal the real organization or is it an outer organization of the guardians?”

Kieran lightly tapped on the handle of his seat with his fingers.

Judging from the current information, Kieran leaned towards the latter and because of that, Kieran was more curious about this guardian’s organization than before.”

“Floating around like a dandelion, scattered around the land and eventually sprouting where they may but… where was the origin?” Kieran wondered.

The origin wasn’t referring to the Witch though, it would be too obvious.

The origin Kieran was searching for was the first guardian of the Witch’s Legacy or the one who founded the guardian’s organization.

Why would the person found the organization?

What was the relationship between the person and the Witch?

Or had the person come into contact with the actual legacy?

Countless speculations formed in Kieran’s mind.

He kept pondering upon the questions until the conductor of the train urged him to disembark.

Only then did he stand up from his seat and get off the train.

The train stopped opposite across from a small alley and when the train departed, Kieran glanced over the street sign opposite him. The street sign was showing 19th Cyron Path.

The words were a little blurry and the other thing that was blurry was the person standing under the sign.

The black hooded mantle of the person seemed to have some special effect. It didn’t just enhance the person’s hiding abilities, it reduced the person’s presence to a minimal level, making him barely noticeable.

However, the moment Kieran’s glance caught the person, he took the initiative to stand out.

“2567?” The person asked.

The person seemed to be certain of Kieran’s identity and before waiting for Kieran’s answer, he said, “Follow me.”

The person then turned around to the alley with quick steps and when Kieran crossed the road and entered the alley, the person’s figure was nowhere to be found.

Yet the scene caused Kieran to laugh coldly.

Everything was exactly like as he had expected.

The reason why Burning Bottle invited him wasn’t to make amends.

Kieran’s senses clearly detected that three more people were hiding in the alley, including the one who led him here; three of them were emanating obvious malicious intent.

At the end of the alley, a stronger, denser nefarious intent was being emanated and it was identical to the feeling in Kieran’s memories.

Burning Bottle’s Hilton!

After slightly calculating the distance, Kieran walked into the alley without a second thought.

Pak!

Pak Pak!

His boots stepped in the water puddles on the ground, giving out a clear tapping noise. The noise was echoing throughout the small alley that was filled with colorless, odorless poisonous smoke.

With the blocked out sunlight, a couple of scorpions and spiders merged themselves into the surrounding shadows like chameleons, waiting quietly for Kieran to approach.

The guide who was also standing in the shadow was gazing at Kieran, he was calculating the time it would take for the poison in Kieran’s body to trigger and how many steps he took.

The colorless, odorless poisonous smoke was one from Hilton’s collection, it was a high-value consumable item.

“Even with SSS rank Constitution, he will be affected by the poisonous smoke, let alone the venomous insect they were controlling! You will grow weak under the smoke and the insects will grow stronger! You are nothing but a lucky bastard that entered the higher order, how dare you look down on us, Burning Bottle! We will teach you a lesson!”

The nefarious thoughts were blooming in the guide’s heart as he gripped the dagger in his hand tighter.

At that moment, Kieran was five steps away from the optimal striking point for the guide and was less than two steps away from the venomous insects, yet right before that happened, Kieran who was moving forward slowly suddenly halted his steps.

Kieran’s figure then vanished just like that.

The guide opened his eyes wide, his battle instinct drove him to activate a defensive barrier but as the thought came into his mind, the guide had lost all his ability to react.

Ssss, sssss!

The mirage of the horned vipers enveloped the guide together with the two more hiding in the alley completely, even the leader Hilton was caught.

It was all within Kieran’s calculations.

He didn’t have time to tangle with all these veterans who couldn’t even ascend to the higher order.

Likewise, Kieran who got the intel about Hilton from Karles didn’t have time to fool around with him either.

Myriads of vipers’ hisses echoed throughout the alley; blazing flames were burning fiercely in the alley.

Devil flame which had reached the higher rank was hurled out ceaselessly from Kieran’s left hand. Within a breath, the whole alley was turned into a sea of fire.

The guide, the other two hiding in the alley, and the insects were all turned to ash instantaneously; Hilton was growling ferociously while being engulfed in the flames.

Fire resistance magic runes shone on Hilton and it saved him from the burning of the devil flame for the first few seconds. These runes, however, lasted for a while before they failed.

Hilton expected Kieran’s powerful flame but he didn’t expect it to be this ridiculously powerful, even the fire resistance equipment that he purposely prepared couldn’t’ oppose it.

“I can’t wait anymore!”

A loud shout came from Hilton’s mouth as his heart made a crucial decision to activate his ace.

“2567!”

As he shouted, Hilton drew a javelin from his back and hurled it straight out.

Souuu!

Following the air-breaking sound, the javelin then vanished from sight and when the javelin appeared again, it multiplied into ten more!

The javelins were like a storm assaulting Kieran from every direction, brewing a formidable force that completely exceeded the legendary, Epic level equipment.

“High-rankers aren’t as simple as you think! Not just our attributes but one would need certain higher order equipment and tools to be considered as a true high-ranker! Some say the latter is even more important!”

“A higher-order equipment is enough to change the tides of a battle! A half-assed player like you would never know!”

Hilton shouted out his pride and glory as he watched Kieran surrounded by the javelins.

His tone even amplified his proud move even further.

Higher order equipment or tools were quite precious for the high-rankers and it was because of this javelin that Hilton qualified as a small leader in the guardians, hence gaining resources that common players couldn’t even imagine.

“Now die! What’s yours is now mine!”

Hilton lifted his right hand and removed his glove.

Right away, a red round line surrounding an eerie smiley face appeared in the flames.