Smack!
The sound of a slap echoed around the room.
"Get back here, you scum! Think you can just come here and steal whatever you like? This time I'll break your legs!"
The child ran, shallow gasps tearing from his chest. His lungs burned, his chest tightened. He gave it his all, yet escape remained a dream. Forced to work half his life by loan sharks, he'd only escaped debt to the gang leader after his death.
Lacking any social connection, the child became a pastime toy for bullies throughout his life. Even when he thought his life would improve as an adult, he was still exploited until his final moments.
Li Mu, a soul from Earth, a man who had been used his entire life, processed the memories. He had sacrificed his time and life to satisfy the expectations of others. That was why, even though he decided to be logical in this new world, he still couldn't help but let his emotions get the better of him sometimes.
He wasn't an emotionless monster like most scavengers. He was just an abused boy from the 21st century, and for once, he wanted to take things from others. In this case, those men's lives.
I will never become a pawn in someone's board game.
In this life, I want to be my own force, never to be looked down upon by others. Vowing this to himself,
Li Mu silently followed the group until they were outside the market."What a day?" one of the men complained to his brothers. "We should return to base and report our findings to the boss; we hadn't found the object.
""Brothers, after this job, let's go to the flower house. I hear a new batch of beauties has just arrived. Sign me up, I can't wait to meet my love again after the last experience.
"After quickly making their plans, they rushed back to their hideout. Unknown to them, a man with distorted facial features, wearing a black robe, was following them closely from behind.I can't take on four people alone. Knowing there is more of their kind out there, why not exterminate the entire batch?
1 Hour Later
After constant tracking, Li Mu finally found the location of their base. It was a massive courtyard in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by rusted walls, pieces of scrap metal, and flesh everywhere.
Mechanical turrets were placed at each corner, silent for now.
Different types of tents were set up around the perimeter, probably the living quarters. Sounds of moaning and the cries of women sounded from within, followed by excited laughs immediately after.
Disgusting. A bunch of animals. In broad daylight, too.
This further elevated the level of torture he was going to put these men through. Li Mu didn't even need infinite insights to think of a plan. The constant accumulation raised his intelligence with each activation
Poison. "Poison, I need to use poison. I'll attack the base in the dead of night, when the poison has taken effect."Quickly adding some finishing touches to the plan, Li Mu decided to leave, swiftly returning to the market to buy the necessary ingredients.
Scavenger Market, Nightfall
inside a majestic pavilion, a beautiful woman sat playing the zither. The koi fish in the pond began swimming as if in synchronization with the sound of the zither. It was nighttime.
The moon hung high in the sky, the moonlight shining onto the pond and into the pavilion, illuminating the woman's snow-white skin and rosy lips. Her black hair fell onto her shoulders like a cascade of waterfalls, very ethereal and graceful .Suddenly, a knocking sound echoed from the pavilion.
A man wearing a dark uniform with the floating city insignia imprinted on it appeared, standing silently, looking at the enchanting woman before him."How have you been, Miss Lin? I see you are getting more and more beautiful the longer I don't see you.
""Spare me the flattery, Chu Mo." She looked at him, not a single ripple in her expression; no one could tell what she was thinking at the moment. "I know you came here because of the earlier conflict between your nephew and my disciple.
I have no explanation to give you if that's what you're after."
"Not at all, Miss Lin. I just came here to enjoy the moonlight and some plum blossom tea with Miss Lin. Forgive my intrusion.
"Suddenly, a sly smile crossed her lips. "You're always welcome. In fact, I received some very interesting pieces of tech from the auction house today. Would you like to review them with me?"
Pulling at a ring-like object with many lenses inside, the man instantly became curious, and just like that, the sounds of discussion echoed from the pavilion.
Unknown to Li Mu, the so-called simple pieces of tech he had sold at the auction house had unknowingly gathered attention, a situation that could turn him back into the pawn he vowed not to become in this life.