Chapter 8

"Open your mouth!"

Satisfied, Dean issued a low command to the obedient Mr. Robber. As the other party subconsciously opened his mouth, a black object shot into it—the foul smell made Jack instinctively know it was not a good thing.

"This is a poison pill!" Dean slightly lowered his head, letting more shadows cover his face, and then said in an even lower tone, "A poison pill that requires an antidote every six months—courtesy of a famous alchemist from the City of the Sky!"

Although Jack had been mentally prepared, he still couldn't help but collapse to the ground when he heard this. When he heard the words 'City of the Sky,' his face turned completely pale— even a robber like him had heard of its fame: the gathering place of wizards, the City of the Sky!

"Now, you can place your hand on your stomach. Can you feel a noticeable bulge? The brilliance of this poison pill is the encapsulated drug, which can last for a day without being digested by your stomach acid—of course, you can try to vomit, but once the drug capsule is soaked in stomach acid, it will explode as soon as it comes into contact with the outside... boom!"

As Dean spoke, he made an explosion gesture, causing Jack to shudder all over.

"Sir, I am willing to do anything for you, please give me the antidote!"

Jack almost wept as he pleaded with Dean.

"Don't worry, if you follow my orders, I will give you the first antidote. If you do well, completely detoxifying you won't be difficult!"

Dean looked down at the kneeling robber, the corners of his mouth curling slightly in the shadows—Dean was, of course, deceiving him. The City of the Sky certainly existed, and similar drugs had appeared before, but they were all legends; he certainly didn't have them in his possession.

But, what did it matter?

As long as the other party believed it!

"Now, there is something you need to do—do it well, and I will give you the first six-month antidote!"

Dean changed to a more casual tone and spoke in a condescending manner.

"Okay! Okay, sir!"

Almost as soon as Dean finished speaking, Jack nodded hurriedly.

...

On the other side of Horn Town, about two kilometers away, two men were sitting by a campfire, surrounded by several tall trees and piles of stones that were over a person's height—these trees and piles of stones not only effectively blocked the view from Horn Town but also shielded the firelight.

In fact, at a distance of two kilometers, unless one was a sharpshooter, no one could spot even a hint of light, which allowed the robber Sidley to enjoy the warmth of the fire without worry. However, the thought of having to sit in the wild while Jack and Sado could stay in comfortable rooms, eat delicious food, and drink fine wine made Sidley's heart unbalanced.

Of course, he didn't dare show this imbalance on his face; after all, this was a task assigned by Basum, who sat across from him—although they were all under the command of 'Wild Fox' Mite, the difference between him, a common underling, and Basum, who was considered a right-hand man, was too great.

From the fact that Basum was the leader of this mission, and he and Jack were just underlings, it was clear what their respective statuses were.

However, Sidley didn't dare to show any dissatisfaction; after all, Basum was said to have near-knight strength—this was proven by the numerous bandits they had eliminated on their journey. Faced with the powerful Basum, Sidley couldn't help but submit.

"Boss, how much longer do we have to wait?"

Although he didn't dare to show any dissatisfaction, Sidley didn't want to stay in this completely wild environment for a moment longer. He wanted to return to the Jan domain in Voban County as soon as possible; at least there, he could take a hot bath and have a warm bed.

Basum didn't directly answer Sidley, but just gave him a cold look, which made Sidley shudder. He wisely chose to remain silent and focused his gaze on the campfire. Seeing Sidley's actions, Basum coldly withdrew his gaze.

"A lazy good-for-nothing!"

Basum thought disdainfully.

As Mite's top underling, he was very clear about what his boss wanted to do; or perhaps it was precisely because of this clarity that he became Mite's top underling. Basum was very satisfied with his current position.

Because he knew that once this mission was completed, it would be the time for his rise to power.

At that time, he would no longer be a mere robber but Lord Basum!

Yes, Lord Basum, a title reserved only for true nobles.

The scene in his mind made Basum subconsciously look at the items buried nearby. The subtle secrecy of it made the corners of his mouth curl up.

However, even so, Basum didn't completely let down his guard. When he heard the faint footsteps from a distance, he immediately stood up, picked up his longsword, and moved behind a tree. Sidley didn't lag behind, mimicking Basum and standing behind another tree, but he held a crossbow—old but with a sharp arrow.

"Who's there?!"

Seeing Basum's gesture, Sidley asked in a low voice.

"It's me, Jack!"

The slightly breathless response, with the familiar voice, made the tense Sidley relax slightly. He then looked at Basum, who didn't step out from behind the tree but gestured for Sidley to go check. Reluctantly, Sidley stepped out from behind the tree, slowly moving forward, his crossbow tightly held in his hand. His heart, which had just relaxed, was once again on high alert.

Clearly, being the scout was always a dangerous job, no matter when.

Despite cursing Basum's maternal relatives, Sidley had to step out—only if he wanted to continue living in the Jan domain of Voban County.

"Sidley, what are you dawdling for? Come help carry the chest, Sado got stabbed in the stomach, and my hand is injured!"

Jack's voice came again, and he was closer this time.

"Wait! Stand there, let me see you!"

Sidley didn't immediately approach but shouted out of caution—this caution was more for Basum's benefit.

Basum, however, was completely indifferent, not even moving from behind the tree. After all, in Basum's view, he, who was about to become a noble, was far more important than these lowly commoners; especially a group of notorious lowlifes!

Their ultimate value was to become his achievements.

The number of people who could rise to power was always limited, and apart from his boss and himself, the rest would obviously meet a different fate.

Therefore, Basum didn't care whether the people in front of him lived or died; whether it was Sidley by his side or the approaching Jack and Sado, it was the same.

However, out of concern for his own life, he still carefully handled the situation—

"Are you doing this on purpose, Sidley? If my hand is ruined, I will definitely kill you!"

Jack shouted angrily, but he remained where he was, not moving closer. To make Sidley see more clearly, he took a few steps, and the injured Sado, whom he was supporting, also came out, but his head was leaning on Jack's shoulder, making it impossible to see his face clearly.

As soon as they came out of the shadows, Jack's tone became even more impatient: "Do you see clearly? It's me and Sado!"

"I see clearly! I see clearly!"

Sidley carefully identified them. When he saw Jack's face and the chest in Jack's hand, especially the latter, he greedily licked his lips. The caution he had feigned was long gone—he could clearly hear the crisp sound from the chest as Jack moved it out of the shadows. It was the sound of gold coins, and Sidley was certain of it!

Even in his dreams, he wouldn't forget such a magical, enchanting sound. This magic made the long-waiting robber signal safety to Basum behind the tree and then rush forward eagerly.

"What are you doing? The two hundred gold coins in here, according to the rules, Jack and I get twenty percent!" Jack dodged Sidley's hands and quickly walked to the campfire, shouting, "Lord Basum, that fat target was really rich—there were two hundred gold coins in the chest by his bed!"

With Jack's last words, as if they carried infinite magic, the campfire area fell silent.

PS: Depressed and in tears~ New book, please support!