As the voice faded, figures emerged from behind the wall and the corner of the alley, each holding a weapon and wearing a grim expression, surrounding Carl in the center.
Including the stall owner, there were six people.
"Unexpectedly, that girl Ayala actually managed to find help?"
The speaker was bare-chested, displaying his robust muscles, with a large cleaver slanting across and dragging on the ground.
As he stepped forward, the sharp blade traced a shallow mark on the frozen mud.
An invisible oppressive force descended as well.
This man must be the leader of the group.
"Help?"
Carl frowned upon hearing this. "It seems there is some misunderstanding between us."
"Misunderstanding?" the stall owner scoffed. "Once out of the marketplace, what misunderstanding could there be?"
"Even if you are not that girl's helper, my brothers and I can't just waste our effort. Hand over whatever you have on you!"
As he spoke, he reached out to grab Carl.
Despite his gaunt frame, his speed was not slow. He was still among the crowd as he spoke, yet by the time his last word fell, he was already in front of Carl.
Moreover, his grab utilized a clever force; his fingers, adorned with sharp claw-like extensions, subtly glinted with a cold light.
If he were to grab onto flesh, he could likely tear off a piece effortlessly.
In Black City, surviving was not easy, and for them, robbing and killing were everyday occurrences.
Carl snorted coldly.
He was no longer the ordinary person without any foundation, remaining composed even when surrounded by several people.
Confronted by the incoming claw, he slightly turned his palm, avoided the claw extensions, and struck out smoothly.
"BANG!"
His palm met the claw.
The stall owner felt a massive force surge through his arm. His stance instantly became unstable, and his expression involuntarily changed. "Knight Att..."
"WHOOSH!"
The low whistle of the broad sword cutting through the air interrupted his shout. Immediately afterward, he felt a severe pain in his abdomen, sending him flying backward.
"How audacious!"
"Kill him!"
"All together now!"
The moment of contact sent the stall owner flying from the slash; the others had yet to even react.
Amidst the roar of anger, several men charged together.
Carl lifted his left hand and lightly snapped his fingers.
Spell of Light!
A blinding light flooded the area in an instant.
For those accustomed to the darkness, light was their bane.
Especially as they were intently focused on Carl's movements, they had no way to avoid it; all of them suddenly lost their sight, panic clear on their faces.
Not good!
The leader's heart pounded wildly, but instead of retreating, he charged forward.
"Ah!"
He let out a furious roar and charged toward Carl's last known position, wildly swinging his cleaver.
The cleaver sliced through the air, the blade shaking rapidly—clearly a type of Battle Skill.
"SQUELCH..."
It was like cutting into thick, viscous liquid; an invisible resistance appeared out of nowhere, startling the leader.
What is this?
Zero-Circle Magic—Lesser Force Field!
Carl cast two spells in quick succession. Capitalizing on the moment the others couldn't react, his broad sword flashed repeatedly.
"THWACK!"
"THWACK, THWACK!"
In the blink of an eye, two fell to the ground.
Yet the leader's cleaver was almost within reach, forcing Carl to swing his sword to block, the blade positioned horizontally before him.
"CLANG..."
What strength!
The leader's strength was perhaps even greater than the red-haired man's from before, but his martial skills were much looser.
Furious Strike!
Plough Style!
Foolish Style!
Carl swung his broad sword, the Gale Sword Technique unleashing a series of slashes, the sound of metal clashing as rapid as a torrential downpour.
"Ah!"
The leader roared into the sky, his tremendous strength bursting forth, breaking through the offensive. His vision gradually began to clear.
As long as I can see! As long as my vision returns! I...
"SWOOSH!"
Several afterimages suddenly appeared out of thin air.
Battle Skill—Gale Slash!
Under the influence of the Lesser Force Field, Carl's burst of power was comparable to a peak Knight Attendant.
And his opponent couldn't even tell from which direction the attacks were coming.
"THWACK!"
The sword image swept across the leader's abdomen and thighs, slashing deep, bone-exposing gashes and causing his body to lose balance.
One wrong step leads to another.
Wielding his broad sword, Carl relentlessly pursued, sword images raining down, leaving the leader's face filled with despair.
Even though he had regained his vision by this time, it was already too late to change anything.
"Ah!"
Accompanied by a scream, the leader's burly body crashed to the ground.
Carl turned, about to chase the remaining two. He raised an eyebrow slightly, then stopped.
Just as the two were about to escape, more than ten arrows suddenly shot out from the darkness, turning the unprepared duo into sieves.
"Uncle!"
Holding a crossbow, Little South leaped out and waved excitedly at Carl. "We're here too."
Figures emerged from the darkness. Ayala, her face filled with surprise, was among them, with an old man behind her.
The old man, looking at Carl, lightly tapped his cane. "Carl, the esteemed friend spoken of by Ayala, we finally meet."
***
「Black City.」
There was no shortage of unoccupied houses here.
After clearing away the dust, everyone found a seat in the hall.
Ayala gestured to the old man. "Uncle Carl, this is Grandfather Lev. He has taken care of me and Little South over the years; otherwise, we would have died long ago."
"This is Sister Eve," she said, looking toward the woman behind the old man. "I specifically asked her to come help."
Carl nodded.
Ayala had brought many people, but most were ordinary; only Eve possessed significant strength.
To be honest, if it weren't for him, based solely on the people Ayala had brought, whether they could have repelled the opponent was still debatable.
"Eve Donne," she said, her eyes cautious as she looked at Carl. "I am pleased to meet you, sir."
"I am as well," Carl smiled and then looked at Ayala. "I didn't expect you could find so many people to help."
Imperceptibly, Ayala had gathered so many people by her side, gaining some influence; she was no longer the same hungry stall owner from before.
"They are all old friends," Ayala replied. "When they heard my stall was robbed, they all came to help."
"Speaking of which, I owe much to your goods, Uncle Carl. They've kept us from suffering too much during this bitter winter month."
"Carl."
Old Lev spoke softly. "Ayala, being a young girl, is easily bullied. Like this time, someone took a fancy to her market stall and tried to strong-arm her into selling it. If it hadn't been for your intervention, who knows what the outcome would have been."
"Mmm..."
"If you have any needs, please just say the word, and we will do what we can."
"Please don't be overly courteous."
Saying this, Old Lev stood up and bowed deeply toward Carl, his body trembling. His attitude was respectful, even ingratiating. The others looked on, their gazes flickering, yet none tried to stop him.
They knew very well that Ayala's ability, and everyone else's, to eat well and stay warm was entirely thanks to the goods Carl provided.
And having witnessed Carl's power today, they held him in even greater awe; if they could attach themselves to him, their future would be more hopeful.
The reason they gathered was not because of Old Lev's respected status, nor because of Ayala's unique charisma, but because of Carl.
"You are too kind, old sir."
Carl shook his head. "I just happened to encounter them; it's nothing. You are getting on in years. Please, sit down. Let's talk while seated."
He did not promise anything.
Black City is vast, but Ayala is too weak. Surveying the room, they are all old, weak, sick, or disabled—incapable of providing any real assistance to me, only a burden. A deal is possible, but it's better not to be tied together.
Old Lev clearly understood this. His expression changed, then he said, "I heard from Ayala that you are collecting Breath Methods?"
"Correct." Carl's eyes lit up. "Do you have a Breath Method?"
"I do have one, but..." Old Lev looked troubled. "The Breath Method I possess cannot be passed on to outsiders. However, there is a Martial Art I can teach you."
A Martial Art?
Carl frowned.
While I'm certainly interested in Martial Arts, to be honest, they aren't that important to me. Especially after encountering the Wizard World, even Breath Methods have become less vital, let alone Martial Arts.
Seeing Carl's changing expression, Old Lev clenched his teeth and said, "Besides Martial Arts, I also have some knowledge of Dharma Seals."
Dharma Seals!
Carl's eyes brightened.