Huh?
Jeffrey, the guard, was confused.
What's going on? He just threatened to kill me over what I did to that outsider! What's with the sudden shift in attitude? He's even apologizing and offering compensation.
Jeffrey turned the offer down right away. “Mr. Platinum, y-you don't have to apologize. I was the one who offended your esteemed guest out of ignorance. I deserved the punishment...”
Esteemed guest?
Platinum sneered. “He's far from an esteemed guest! Truth be told, I only showed him such courtesy due to his usefulness in the current situation. I won't go easy on him after he outlives that. The fact that he betrayed his superior means he would betray me for personal gains in the future too. I wouldn't want someone like that around me. Besides, I'll be in trouble if he tells anyone about it...”
Realization hit Platinum's subordinates. So this is what's going on.
Platinum apologized to soothe his subordinates.
A lot of them looked dissatisfied when he punished them over Declan.
Leading them would be a challenge if he didn't smooth things over right after that.
Admittedly, Platinum was a talented leader.
The night sky darkened as time passed.
By two o'clock in the morning, members of Phoenixion exited their rooms and gathered at the plot of empty land at the front.
It was time for them to act.
Phoenix got out of her room and swept a glance at the crowd. “Are you ready?” she whispered. “Consider this a notice forefront. A life-and-death battle will ensue later on. People will die. Those who do not wish to take this risk can back out now. I won't force anybody into this.”
None of them spoke.
Phoenix said, “Great. I'll take your silence as acquiescence. Women and children stay. The rest of you, come with me! Let's go!”
With Phoenix in the lead, the troop snuck over to the barracks occupied by Zeke's faction.
His troops were sound asleep, so deathly silence hung in the barracks.
Even the guard at the entrance was nodding off, so they arrived unnoticed.
Members of Phoenixion were elated. Their stealthy action would allow for a preemptive strike.
Just as they awaited Phoenix's orders to launch an assault, she walked up to the entrance and yelled, “Come on out, Zeke!”
F*ck!
The members of Phoenixion were dumbfounded.
Are you out of your mind? We're on an ambush! Do you even understand the term? We should be cutting their heads off while they're still asleep! Did you wake them up because you think it's unfair to kill them in their sleep? Or rather, aren't you having too much faith in our abilities?
Whoosh!
There was an upheaval in Zeke's faction.
“F*ck, who's there?”
“You must be intruders for barging into our barracks in the dead of night!”
“Get up, get up! We have intruders!”
Zeke's men quickly gathered at the entrance to make a stand against members of Phoenixion.
“F*ck! You're despicable for launching an ambush at night!”
“They've always been looking down on us newcomers! I can't contain this rage any longer!”
“A new broom sweeps clean! If we don't teach these older factions a lesson, they'll continue to find fault with us!”
“D*mn! I'm going all out against them! We get a foothold here if we win; if we lose, we just get our heads cut off!”
The men from Zeke's faction were agitated. War was brewing.
The men from Phoenixion wouldn't back down and continued to challenge them.
A battle could start at the drop of a hat.
At that critical moment, a deep voice rumbled. “Stop it right there!”
Zeke had arrived.
All attention was on him immediately.
“Give the order, Mr. Williams.”
“They've gone overboard. They assumed that we're easy targets just because we're new here.”
“This is pathetic! I can't get over this if we don't f*ck them over!”
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