Magic Chronicles : Fallen Race

The Bloody Hand Gang had three deputy leaders in total. Excluding the one who was on a mission in Ghost Town, the remaining two were now sweating profusely, grinding their teeth as they glared furiously at the white-haired woman who seemed to move through their headquarters as if it were unguarded territory.

Most members of the Bloody Hand Gang hailed from one of the three major nations of the Court of Judgment, a rare global entity that eschewed the pursuit of sorcery in favor of physical strength and conditioning.

Thus, the Bloody Hand Gang had always excelled in Syndicate close combat, using various fighting and martial techniques as their forte.

But now, their strength in hand-to-hand combat was being mercilessly crushed. One after another, members of the Bloody Hand Gang were flung away like sandbags by the incredibly strong white-haired woman.

Other members of the Animal Gang followed closely on either side of the white-haired woman, pushing forward like bulldozers, continuously advancing deeper into the territory of the Bloody Hand Gang, unstoppable by any number of opponents.

One of the deputy leaders finally couldn't hold back his anger and shouted, "What exactly do you mad dogs want? Are you planning to start an all-out war with us?"

The white-haired woman responded immediately, "When your people pull back from Ghost Town, we'll leave too!"

"Damn it! What does Ghost Town have to do with you!" Hearing that this was the reason the white-haired woman had come knocking, the deputy leader was so agitated he nearly passed out.

"It has nothing to do with us, but I just can't stand your methods. What's the matter, can't handle it? If you disagree, come down here and fight, what's the point of just talking from up there?"

The white-haired woman looked up disdainfully at the deputy leader, who, despite being frantic, still cowered on the high platform, unwilling to come down.

Seeing this, the two deputy leaders, though furious to the point of bursting, indeed dared not go down themselves, as the image of a third-tier warrior who had been directly crushed underfoot by the white-haired woman was still vivid in their minds.

However, the standoff didn't last long as steady footsteps approached from behind.

The two deputy leaders quickly turned around to face a man in a black robe approaching them. His gaze was icy, his face lined with age, not making him seem old but rather adding a dignified and imposing air. Most striking, however, was the blood-red glow emanating from his right arm, partially visible beneath his robe.

"Lord Bloody Hand!" Upon seeing the man, the deputy leaders immediately bowed deeply with great respect.

As his name suggested, the Bloody Hand Gang was founded by him and even named after him.

The appearance of Bloody Hand finally put pressure on the white-haired woman below.

Kitsune, after tossing aside a gang member who had been squawking miserably in her grip like a chicken, looked up at Bloody Hand with a serious expression, her fighting spirit surging even more.

"Old man, after getting beaten to your doorstep, you finally show yourself, not hiding anymore, huh? Pfft, I see you're no different from your two cowardly subordinates."

"Now you have two choices: either come down and fight me—I see you're pretty old, but I can still spare your bones from breaking. But if I have to come up there and find you, then, well..."

Bloody Hand ignored Kitsune's provocative shouts from below.

The members of the Animal Gang were all incredibly strong, but not particularly bright, and their temperaments were childlike—a fact universally acknowledged by the major powers of Syndicate. Engaging them seriously was a sure way to lose.

Moreover, Bloody Hand had clashed with Kitsune before. Although she was slightly less powerful than him, and he could defeat her, completely subduing and eliminating her was beyond his capabilities. If the white-haired woman truly wanted to escape, he couldn't stop her.

This was the infuriating aspect of the Animal Gang—they would kick up trouble in others' territories and always manage to escape unscathed.

However, a cold glint flashed in Bloody Hand's eyes.

Under normal circumstances, he might have endured it, but this time, it concerned the future of the Bloody Hand Gang. After their decline in Syndicate, this was a crucial operation to rely on the support of the Empire. He could not tolerate any mishaps.

For this reason, Bloody Hand took out a dark green lantern he had prepared earlier. The light seemed to contain many suppressed evil spirits.

Waving the lantern gently towards the members of the Animal Gang below, the situation on the battlefield immediately reversed.

Many members of the Animal Gang seemed to react to the green light, as if the black collars around their necks began to tighten, causing them pain and rendering them unable to exert their strength.

The stronger the individual, the tighter the black collar constricted. The formidable white-haired woman, who had been so imposing just moments ago, now clenched her teeth and was forced to stand still, struggling against and trying to suppress the collar around her neck.

A look of "just as I thought" appeared on Bloody Hand's face.

He then leaped down from the high platform, his blood-red arm transforming into a claw that reached for Kitsune's neck.

The white-haired woman tried to dodge and resist, but the black collar around her neck suppressed her strength significantly. She barely avoided Bloody Hand's claw but was then sent flying by his next punch.

Many members of the Bloody Hand Gang cheered. It took their leader's intervention to handle these suppressed members of the Animal Gang. Bloody Hand prepared to return, leaving the rest to his subordinates with strict instructions not to kill but to capture them alive.

Seeing that the Bloody Hand Gang was about to regroup and close in, Vielsia, who was hidden not far away, immediately sought instructions from Reji.

"Teacher, shall we..."

"Let's save them."

After issuing the command, Reji continued to watch the members of the Animal Gang, specifically the black collars around their necks with a thoughtful eyes.

Initially, Reji had thought that these iron collars were merely a type of gang decoration for the Animal Gang and didn't think much of it.

But now... Reji recognized the green lantern that Bloody Hand had taken out.

That was the "Warden's Lantern," a classic item from the "Judgment nation" in the game, symbolizing order and rules within human society.

Any heretic would face judgment.

In the game, if a player committed many evils, they would attract the pursuit of the Radiant Saintess, and those assisting the Saintess were the enforcers of "Judgment."

If a player was defeated, they would be thrown into the "Judgment's" Stillwater Prison. There, as a prisoner, they would undergo correctional labor until their sin value was cleared, after which they would be released.

Since Reji had never been defeated by the Saintess, he lacked this part of the game experience, which is why he didn't initially react to the iron collars of the Animal Gang.

It was only now, when Bloody Hand brought out the "Soul Suppressor Lantern," that Reji pieced it together. It seemed that in Stillwater Prison, "Judgment" controlled those extremely vicious and wicked prisoners in the same way, using the black collars around their necks to suppress them.

'So... Heresy, huh?'

Combining this with the strange behaviors and suspicious appearances of the members of the Animal Gang, Reji couldn't help but form a bold hypothesis.