Step!
Theo halted his steps as his eyes caught the figure of a man standing not far from where he was. The man remained silent, leaning against a streetlamp while taking a drag from his cigarette. He shifted his attention to Theo upon hearing the sound of his footsteps, their gazes meeting. "Finally, you're here. I've been waiting for you since earlier," Alessio said, leaving his spot and approaching Theo, who stood there in bewilderment.
"You!" Theo widened his eyes upon seeing the man waiting for him. There was a sense of disappointment Theo felt as Alessio appeared in the usual place he waited for a taxi to go home. "I've been waiting for you because I want to ask about your decision."
"Oh, my goodness! How many times do I have to say that I don't want to join Infero Ravens? You're so stubborn!" Theo retorted with an annoyed expression. His feelings immediately shifted upon getting that question from Alessio. Theo's assumption was wrong when he thought Alessio would eventually give up; apparently, the man still tried to persuade him to join Infero Ravens.
"You have incredible martial arts skills, and it would be such a waste if you didn't join us. At least, with your abilities, you could help a lot of people, and you could further develop your martial arts skills to an even higher level," Alessio insisted.
"I-said-no!" Theo emphasized each word. He was truly irritated by Alessio's persistence. Frustrated, Theo intended to leave him immediately. However, just as he took a step, his movement came to a sudden halt when his eyes caught a group of men emerging from the opposite direction.
System detects a potential threat!> Theo's body froze as he saw the Bloodhound Cartel approaching their location, stopping a few meters away. From his current position, Theo could see Dante's irritating face, now smiling meaningfully in his direction. Bloodhound Cartel. Why did they suddenly show up at a time like this? For quite some time, Theo and Dante exchanged glances. "Haven't we met in a long time?" said Dante. His voice spontaneously shifted Alessio's focus onto him. Alessio turned, staring at a group of men standing not far from their position. "You!" Alessio was as surprised as Theo at their sudden appearance. Dante briefly shifted his attention to Alessio before returning his gaze to Theo. "You're here too? Too bad, but today I'm not interested in fighting you at all," Dante told Alessio. He then moved closer to Theo, standing about a meter away. "Today, I came because there's business I need to settle with him!" They came on their own to find me? Well, that's good. With Dante coming to me like this, I can settle my revenge as soon as possible! Theo tried to stay calm, but in his heart, he felt an exhilarating sensation. His adrenaline surged, and a fiery spirit burned within him like a growing flame. "What do you want?" Alessio suddenly moved to block Theo. He stood in front, staring sharply at Dante. "I've told you, this has nothing to do with you. So, you better not interfere in my affairs!" "If you intend to harm him, then it becomes my concern. Because from now on, he is under the protection of Infero Ravens!" Wait, what? Since when am I under the protection of Infero Ravens? Don't decide that so casually! Theo furrowed his brow. He intended to ask Alessio not to get involved in his issues, but before he could speak, his words were cut off as Dante interrupted him. "What? So now you've hired the Infero Ravens clowns to protect you? Tsk, you must be kidding! They can't even protect their own group. How could you even think of seeking help from them?" Dante chuckled in response to Alessio's statement. The man genuinely believed his words when Alessio said that Theo was under his protection. "Never dare to insult my gang. I won't stay silent when I hear you badmouth them in front of me. Remember, you've caused many of my members to lose their lives, and I will repay what you've done with a fitting retaliation!" "Oh, so your group has lost many members now? Good, because that makes your gang even easier for us to defeat!" "You—" "Just tell me what you really want until you meet me face to face like this!" Theo interrupted Alessio's sentence. He didn't want to waste more time on unnecessary words. Besides, Dante and Alessio were talking too much, testing Theo's patience. Theo truly wanted to confront and defeat them with his own hands. "Well, you're quite brave to speak up, huh? Alright, I'll explain the reason for my visit to find you." Dante grinned. "Echoes of vengeance in the silence of the night, Puzzles unravel, retribution takes flight. Their deeds countered in a similar play, Heaven and earth bear witness, a meaningful battle underway." Category: Sub Difficulty Level: A Completion Requirements: Settle your issues with the Bloodhound Cartel, and retaliate against every action of theirs until vengeance is achieved! Time Limit: - Reward: You will receive special coins as a reward once this quest is successfully completed!> * Theo fell silent, gazing at each member of the Bloodhound Cartel now surrounding him. As he observed them, Theo tried to recount the number of Bloodhound Cartel members present. The total that attacked me some time ago was thirteen people, and now their numbers are even greater than before. There are two Bloodhound Cartel members I haven't seen before, and there's a possibility that they are just a fraction of other unseen members. I can't be sure of the total number of Bloodhound Cartel members, but it seems that only a handful are in front of me. Theo paused, contemplating. He needed to figure out a way to end this fight and defeat them all. Theo knew his martial skills weren't particularly high, and compared to the Bloodhound Cartel, their combat abilities were likely superior to his. Theo had to survey his surroundings, ensuring he had a plan to win the fight. He also needed to remain calm in this confrontation, to stay focused. Currently, Theo and the Bloodhound Cartel members are in an empty field not far from where they initially met. Dante had suddenly dragged Theo there. Meanwhile, Alessio had already been handled by his subordinates who engaged in a fight, trying to keep him from interfering with Theo and Dante. In reality, there were twenty members of the Bloodhound Cartel present that night. Five of them were currently occupied with Alessio, trying to restrain him from getting involved in Theo and Dante's conflict. Meanwhile now, Theo had to face fifteen other Bloodhound Cartel members who aimed to end his life. As Dante dragged him into the field, Dante pushed Theo, causing him to fall to the ground. "In our last fight, didn't you say you wanted to reclaim what we took from you?" Dante remarked, snapping Theo out of his reverie. Theo was silent for a moment, thinking back about the sentence Dante meant, he just remembered that himself had indeed said so. Theo then got up while cleaning a little of his body that was dirty from falling. The man grinned while looking at Dante. "So, you remember what I said back then? That's good, because I intend to take back what you took from me!" "Well, look at you. You're getting bolder and more confident. It seems like you're no longer afraid of us, huh? Maybe it's because you have martial arts skills now that you're a little cocky?" "I just want to take back what you took from me!" "Unfortunately, you know that won't be easy, right?" Dante smirked as he glanced at his men. With just the movement of his eyes, the Bloodhound Cartel had immediately understood the instructions Dante was trying to convey. His men immediately moved without warning, attacking Theo simultaneously from all directions. Theo, who realized their movements, spontaneously set up a stance and prepared to face them. However, he only realized one thing when all the members of the Bloodhound Cartel approached. System detects a potential threat!> None of the Bloodhound Cartel members fought barehanded. Most of them wielded various types of weapons. Thwack! One Bloodhound Cartel member struck Theo's neck with a baseball bat, instantly weakening Theo's prepared defense. Theo staggered, nearly falling. However, he quickly countered with a spinning kick. Unfortunately, his attack was immediately blocked by the man using his baseball bat. "Arggh!" Theo grimaced in pain as his kick hit the wrong target. "Ouch, sorry. Your attack completely missed!" The man taunted. Theo shot him a sharp look. Swiftly, he ran toward the man and launched a series of kicks. In this situation, it wasn't feasible for Theo to confront him with punches. Other Bloodhound Cartel members tried to attack from different directions. They all attempted to incapacitate Theo to make it easier to defeat him. However, Theo was determined to stay focused. None of their attacks this time could easily overpower Theo. I won't let you win! I'll focus and defeat all of you with my own hands! Theo clenched both his fists. He kept moving, channeling all his energy into kicks. This time, each attack Theo delivered overwhelmed the man holding the baseball bat. He slowly stepped back, unable to successfully defend against Theo's assaults. Damn! How can this be? Why is he so resilient? He didn't feel any pain when he kicked my bat? I can't let this happen! The man blocked Theo's next kick with the bat, holding it with both hands. As his attack failed, he immediately launched a counterattack. He changed his grip, lifting the bat in his hands, aiming it at Theo's head. Thud! In one swift motion, the man collapsed to the ground, unconscious. Gotcha! ***