Chapter Eighteen: Carter

Of course, Farren had no intention of letting that half-grown youngster and Eluca sleep beside him. Though the two little ones appeared charming, they possessed only pretty faces, not the figures that would bring him comfort—his own maid was far preferable. So, after finishing his examination of Corona, he simply sent her and Eluca off to rest. As one of the Seven Titans, Farren was entitled to privileges; even on the frontline, while others were forced to sleep outdoors or in tents, he could enjoy a leisurely slumber in a prepared room. Eluca and Corona, the sisters, benefited from his favor; for the first time, instead of camping in a shabby tent or a perilous ruin, they slept soundly in a clean, tidy room.

No worries about bandits sneaking up on them in the wild, nor about monsters attacking—such days were truly delightful!

As the saying goes, some rejoice while others grieve. While Farren and his companions enjoyed a tranquil night, the position he’d swept clean during the day had now transformed into a battlefield.

“Keep your wits about you, watch your surroundings! Careful—I told you to be careful, you idiot, look up!”

A man clad in a heavy leather jacket shouted as he rushed forward, grabbing the dumbfounded machine gunner and pressing him to the ground. Immediately, the energy-sucking monster’s claws swept just above their heads. A burst of gunfire erupted, weaving a net of firepower that enveloped the creature. Amidst its shrill screams, the huge monster plummeted from the sky and crashed to the earth. But even then, it stubbornly tried to attack its prey, until the two gunners turned and riddled its skull with bullets, finally sending the damned beast to its grave.

What rotten luck!

The leather-jacketed man glared at the twitching corpse, spitting viciously. He paid the body no mind, instead turning his gaze forward.

The Blackstone Group’s response had been swift. The crossroads where Farren had slain the mutated elite monster during the day was now filled with barricades, floodlights illuminating the area. The benefit of the energy coverage zone was clear: no need for generators, just bring equipment and use it.

But for Carter, this made him uneasy.

As the leader of the Wilds Alliance, Carter was agitated. The reason was simple: not long ago, he’d received a shocking piece of news—"Vulture" was dead.

Truth be told, when Carter first heard it, he couldn’t believe it. Then, in a rage, he flipped his table. "Vulture" was a crucial figure in the Wilds Alliance, gifted at finding food and water in the wilderness—a lifesaving ability for those wandering the wilds. Carter had put in considerable effort, even sacrificing his favorite woman, to recruit "Vulture" into the alliance.

Carter knew well that someone with "Vulture’s" abilities would never obey willingly. His talents were indispensable to wanderers on the wilds, and if Carter slipped up, "Vulture" could just as easily oust him, giving away the power Carter had worked so hard to build.

But Carter had his own plans. Few knew that this seemingly careless middle-aged man had awakened his own permission ability. His power was unique—Devour.

Yes, as a Level Three permission holder, Carter could absorb the abilities of peers or those below him for his own use. Of course, there were limits: Carter could only use one ability at a time. Once he absorbed another, the previous one was nullified. Because of this, no one in the Wilds Alliance knew Carter’s true power; he always displayed abilities he’d previously absorbed.

This was why Carter had chosen to bring "Vulture" into his fold. He intended to catch "Vulture" off guard and absorb his power. His willingness to accept Blackstone Group’s contract wasn’t just about the generous reward; he also planned to strike "Vulture" amid the chaos and take his ability.

Carter had thought to wait until the fighting dragged on before making his move. But barely a day into the ruins, "Vulture" disappeared with his men. Before Carter could send a search party, Blackstone Group informed him—"Vulture" was dead.

The news left Carter utterly bewildered.

What? "Vulture" died? Are you kidding? Wasn’t he the most cautious about survival? How could he die? How could he!

Carter didn’t want to believe it, but when he hurried to the scene, he saw only "Vulture’s" lifeless corpse. That sight sent Carter into a fury. His ability was powerful, but it required a living target. Now, with "Vulture" dead, what was there left to absorb?

Fuming, Carter immediately dispatched his men to gather intelligence—he was determined to find the bastard who ruined his plans!

The process, unexpectedly, was simple. The killer’s identity was common knowledge: one of District Nine’s Seven Titans—the Doctor.

Upon learning this, Carter sent representatives to protest to Blackstone Group. After all, "Vulture" belonged to the Wilds Alliance—how could District Nine just kill him without explanation?

What infuriated Carter further was that Blackstone Group had no intention of giving any answer. Faced with Carter’s indignation, they merely replied with a perfunctory “investigating.” After that? Nothing more.

Worse yet, soon after, they received orders from their employer to move and defend this position—originally the Doctor’s assigned area!

His target murdered by the opposition, his plan shattered, and now he had to bring his people to clean up after the bastard—just the thought made Carter nearly explode.

Unfortunately, he didn’t even have time to throw a tantrum. At first, the area was calm, and the defenses went up without trouble. Carter thought this would be an easy job. But after nightfall, they faced waves of monster attacks—from zombies to mutants, now energy-suckers. Though Carter’s leadership repelled the assaults, his men suffered heavy losses. The Wilds Alliance was a loose coalition of wanderers, and if not for Blackstone Group’s generous pay, they wouldn’t have banded together. Now, after half a night, though they’d held off the monsters, the casualties were severe—Carter felt it was hardly worth it.

After another failed attack, the energy-sucking monsters lurking nearby seemed to abandon their assault. Amid a series of hoarse shrieks, they spread their wings under the floodlights and flew deep into the city ruins.

“Hoo...”

Only now did Carter wipe the sweat from his brow and slump onto an ammo crate. Despite the entire box of grenades beneath him, Carter no longer cared if his backside might be blown in two. He’d nearly been killed by a monster moments ago, saved only by activating his ability at the last second. Now, Carter secretly felt thankful he’d never absorbed "Vulture’s" power—otherwise, he might have ended up a shriveled corpse himself.

Still, if it weren’t for this mess, he wouldn’t be risking his neck in this godforsaken place!

“Boss, boss!”

Just as Carter relaxed and reached for a cigarette to calm his nerves, one of his lieutenants ran up, panting. Carter frowned, took the cigarette from his lips, and glared coldly.

“What is it? What’s happened? Why the rush?”

“It’s like this…”

Sensing Carter’s icy gaze, the lieutenant tensed. Yet, after a moment’s hesitation, he stepped closer, lowering his voice.

“You wanted us to dig up the Doctor’s background. I’ve been running around with the others, and we found something interesting…”

He dropped his voice further, whispering a few words in Carter’s ear. Hearing this, Carter’s expression grew strange; he looked up, surprised.

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure. Everyone says so—it’s an open secret in District Nine…”

“Excellent.”

Carter let out a cold laugh, clapping his subordinate on the shoulder.

“Well done, go get some rest now.”

“Yes, boss.”

The lieutenant was clearly pleased by Carter’s praise, but hesitated, lowering his voice.

“Boss, should we…”

He made a gesture, and Carter thought for a moment before shaking his head.

“No, not yet. Blackstone Group’s watching us closely—no need to rush. Send a few trustworthy people to keep an eye on him, but don’t alert them. We’ll deal with this after the job’s done.”

As he spoke, Carter clenched his fist, crushing the cigarette in his hand.

“I’ll make that bastard realize the Wilds Alliance isn’t to be trifled with!”