Chapter 140: Countdown (V)

The heavy iron door slammed shut behind everyone, plunging the room into absolute darkness. Yet, apart from Franca, the rest of the group appeared remarkably calm.

"Ah... I knew this was going to happen."

Ailuka yawned with utter boredom, then picked up the laser rifle beside her and clicked off the safety. On the other side, Deling silently gripped her spiked club. Only Franca stood clutching her magical wand tightly, a look of sheer bewilderment on her face.

"Huh? What's going on? What just happened?"

Although they were both familiars, there was a vast difference between Franca and Deling. As a familiar capable of shifting shapes at will, Franca possessed a very faint and fragmented memory. You could hardly expect a familiar that turned into a cat one day, a bird the next, and a snake the day after to possess a clear sense of self-awareness. Because of this, Faren had forcibly anchored Franca to this current form to preserve her consciousness. Consequently, the present Franca was not nearly as experienced with the ways of the wasteland as Deling; instead, much like the human form she had been converted into, she was entirely lost and bewildered by her surroundings.

"It's no big deal. It just means these people are planning to make a move on us."

Seeing Franca's expression, Ailuka couldn't help but smile and pat her on the head. She actually had quite a favorable impression of this familiar, which had originally resided on her wrist. Regardless of anything else, the other had saved her life during a moment of crisis, so Ailuka didn't mind giving Franca a crash course in "wasteland common sense."

"These people are all the same—they see something good and they want to take it. Besides, we don't look very intimidating... Well, according to Miss Luna, women don't need to be intimidating anyway. I think there's a lot of truth to that..."

Just as Ailuka said, she wasn't the least bit surprised to find herself locked up. The girls before them were so young and beautiful, and Faren had produced enough energy chips to make the rulers of every settlement salivate with greed. Coupled with their small numbers, they looked like easy targets. Any "sane" and rational ruler would make the exact same choice.

Why would this be considered strange in the wasteland? If you see something you like, you simply snatch it by force. That's how it is between individuals, and that's how it is between settlements. Otherwise, why would the Ninth District have swept through the Federation's settlements like a swarm of locusts—was it just playing house?

"Mr. Mayor, what is the meaning of this?"

Facing the sealed door, Faren asked with a smile. His voice was exceptionally calm, yet everyone could see a sliver of silver-white radiance flickering and dancing like flowing water between his fingertips. In response to Faren's question, the iron door remained completely silent. Only after a long while did the voice of the boar-like mayor sound once again.

"Mister, I think you understand my meaning."

"Oh... I'm afraid I don't quite understand."

Hearing the mayor's reply, the smile on Faren's face did not change in the slightest.

"To be honest, I'd rather know what we're about to face... That's all."

"It's very simple, Mister."

At this moment, the mayor finally dropped his clumsy facade and polite words, his tone regaining full confidence.

"We're all reasonable people here, so I won't play dumb. Hand over all the energy chips you have on you, and leave these three young ladies behind. Then, I'll let you walk away. That's the deal. If you refuse my request, I'm afraid I'll have to use much rougher methods to get what I want."

"How fascinating..."

Hearing this, Faren's smile grew even more brilliant.

"Are you so certain you have us in the palm of your hand?"

"Don't bother trying to bluff."

The mayor's voice grew a fraction tenser. Clearly, he wasn't as utterly foolish as he looked on the surface. Someone who could casually produce energy chips was indeed not a target to be trifled with. However, recalling the reports brought back by his subordinates, the mayor ultimately made up his mind.

"My men have already scouted the area—there's no one outside the settlement at all! So, it doesn't matter what you say, it's useless!"

Saying this, the mayor hardened his heart. Although he had claimed he would let Faren go, at this point, he clearly had no intention of doing so. In the mayor's view, these people were cleanly dressed and carried themselves with a civilised air; they were obviously not ordinary wilderness dwellers. They were very likely VIPs from some major faction. The reason they had come here was probably due to some unforeseen accident along the way, which wasn't unusual—even settlements in the wasteland weren't entirely safe, let alone the untamed wilds outside. The mayor assumed Faren and his companions had come simply to acquire transportation and food before heading back. Under normal circumstances, the mayor might have genuinely escorted Faren out of his territory with utmost respect, as establishing ties with a powerful faction would naturally benefit him.

The real problem was... those three chicks were just too gorgeous!

To die under a peony blossom, still a romantic ghost even in death—in this era, no one ever knew when their time would come. Someone like the mayor cared even less about the future; otherwise, he wouldn't have let his subordinates run wild in the wasteland. To him, spending every day in pleasure and indulgence was the ultimate goal. As for the three young women by Faren's side, they had driven the mayor completely insane!

To hell with it!

As long as he could ravage those three women, he didn't care about anything else! Screw the settlement, screw his status as ruler—he was willing to risk his very life for this! You only live once, and an opportunity like this comes only once in a lifetime! For those three women, he was going all out!

The mere thought of having those three stunning, uniquely charming women on his bed to defile as he pleased made the mayor feel a surging heat rising in his lower body. He clenched his fists tightly, glaring dead ahead at the heavily barred iron door, while around him, fully armed guards stood ready. Though the mayor had hoped to avoid resorting to crude violence if possible, if push came to shove, corpses would do just as well... Such gorgeous chicks—he wouldn't get tired of playing with them, even if they were dead!!

"It seems there is no longer any need for negotiation."

Hearing the mayor's words, Faren sighed lightly, then broke into a smile as bright as springtime sunshine.

"The patient's condition is terminal and beyond medical help. Deling, prepare for surgery."

"Yes, Master."

Hearing Faren's command, Deling nodded. With her cat ears twitching, the maid strode forward, dragging her spiked club toward the heavy iron door. Raising the club high, she brought it down hard against the steel barrier with ferocious force!

"BOOM!!!"

Accompanied by a deafening roar, the thick iron door crumpled and tore free from the masonry under Deling's single blow, flying backward into the darkness beyond!