9:30 PM.
Area near the city center fountain.
Wearing the rapier with the scabbard cracked by the grenade blast at his waist, and holding a grenade in his right palm.
Merlin arrived at an alley here. Following Yol's scent, he soon found them in a wooded garden on the outskirts near this place.
This time and location were the agreed-upon meeting point with the survivors.
Therefore, Yol and Lami weren't the only ones waiting for Merlin here.
"It's me!" As Merlin arrived, the survivors guarding the perimeter walked out one by one.
However,
"Are you the only ones left?"
Merlin looked around. Besides Yol and Lami, there were only fifteen survivors in total. At this moment, a familiar face stepped forward. Eric's eyes flashed with anger:
"Those bastards actually released poison gas in the sewers. These are the only people of ours who made it here.
"Of the brothers who were with me, including myself, only seven remain."
For the past few days, they had been hiding in the sewers. Although it was smelly and dirty, it was at least relatively safe.
But today, the soldiers first swept through the city in large numbers, forcing the survivors to hide, and then released potent poison gas bombs into the sewers throughout the city. More than half of the survivors in the sewers were killed instantly.
Merlin looked around at the survivors, seeing the deep fear and dread in their eyes. He knew he couldn't wait any longer, so he said:
"They're getting desperate, so tonight is our best chance.
"Everyone rest. At 3:00 AM tonight, prepare to break out with me!"
Hearing this, Eric nodded, feeling a sense of relief.
But at this moment, the leader of the other group of survivors stepped forward, looking at Merlin with flickering eyes:
"Mr. Merlin, since that's the case, when will you transfer the Amber Lead Syndrome from the rest of us?"
Merlin looked at him calmly. "Do you have any brilliant ideas?
"Alphos."
This was a middle-aged man with a well-proportioned figure, blond hair, wearing a dirty suit and gold-rimmed glasses.
A gleam flashed in Alphos's eyes:
"Half of our remaining partners here have Amber Lead Syndrome. Their condition isn't great. If you cure them, our chances of escaping successfully will be greater, right?
"What do you say, Mr. Merlin?"
At this time, Eric also looked at Merlin, but with some hesitation in his eyes:
"Brother Merlin, three of the brothers who came with me haven't been cured yet either!"
During these three days, sometimes after defeating soldiers, Merlin would transfer the Amber Lead Syndrome from some survivors to the dying soldiers.
Among the fifteen survivors present now, seven still had Amber Lead Syndrome.
In the dim environment, a strange glint flickered in Merlin's lowered eyes:
"I believe I said my body can only carry four people's worth of Amber Lead Syndrome.
"So now, do you have any living creatures here to bear the Amber Lead Syndrome for me?"
At this moment, Alphos chuckled very confidently. "Mr. Merlin, your ability to transfer negative statuses works on animals too, right?
"We brought a hunting dog."
The corner of Merlin's mouth lifted slightly. "Of course, as long as it's a living creature."
Alphos smiled, clapping his hands. Four people immediately walked forward excitedly from where he stood before. One of them held a black hunting dog with its mouth bound and its four limbs broken.
Alphos smiled brightly:
"Then please begin, using that Devil Fruit ability of yours that amazes me every time I see it."
"Begin?" A bright smile appeared on Merlin's face. "Begin what?"
Alphos's face stiffened, and he repeated in a somewhat unhappy, lowered voice: "Cure the Amber Lead Syndrome of our partners."
Merlin's voice became eerie:
"Curing so many people at once will consume a lot of my energy.
"We have to escape tonight. If my body becomes weak at that time...
"Tell me, what about my safety?"
Alphos's face stiffened instantly, but then he smiled again:
"Don't worry, we will definitely protect you together when the time comes."
At this moment, hesitation flashed in Eric's eyes nearby. He felt the atmosphere here was a bit off.
He felt Alphos seemed to be going a bit too far.
He wanted to step forward as a peacemaker to stop it.
But just as he was about to move,
He felt a hard object quietly pressing against his back.
At the same time, Yol's lowered, calm voice sounded:
"Mr. Eric, don't move! Careful, the gun might go off."
Cold sweat instantly beaded on Eric's forehead.
And at this moment,
A look of mockery flashed in the eyes of Merlin, who had unknowingly clasped his hands behind his back:
"You'll protect me?"
In that instant,
His figure suddenly exploded into motion.
His hands pulled the pins from behind his back. His right hand violently threw the grenade towards the three survivors who were with Alphos not far away.
Then, black flames rose in his right hand as he punched Alphos in the face:
"Calamity: Crimson of Pain."
In an instant, Alphos's body, knocked to the ground, was enveloped in black flames. Several fatal wounds suddenly appeared on his body, and a gash opened on his neck, blood spraying out instantly.
Immediately after, a BOOM! explosion occurred. The three people over there didn't react in time and were blown away.
Shrill screams rang out instantly.
Merlin's figure rushed out at this moment. In the blink of an eye, he was in front of the four people who had come close to him.
Amidst their panicked alertness.
Black flames rose on his fists as he threw three punches in quick succession. Three people fell to the ground screaming. Then, he dodged and kicked the fourth person hard in the crotch with his right foot.
A heavy dull thud sounded. Merlin's right hand smoothly drew the dagger from the outside of his right leg.
Sliced across his neck.
Squelch! Blood splattered on Merlin's face. At this moment, Merlin lunged forward, three cold lights flashing in succession.
The three people on the ground were stabbed through the chest.
Then, Merlin reabsorbed the Amber Lead calamities from two of them.
He glanced at Eric's group, who were frozen in horror, then walked to the three people heavily injured by the grenade.
Amidst their screams for mercy,
Squelch! Squelch! Squelch!
Finishing them off.
Merlin wiped the blood from his face and looked at Eric with dark eyes:
"Do you want my life too?"
Eric clenched his back teeth, sweat pouring from his forehead. Hearing this, he quickly said:
"I don't, Brother Merlin, no, Boss Merlin, you know I've never had any ill will towards you."
At this moment, Merlin sensed Yol's inquiring gaze, so he shook his head at her:
"Yol, put the gun down. Eric was misled."
"And Lami, grenades are dangerous, children shouldn't play with them casually."
Merlin looked behind Yol at little Lami, who held a grenade in her right hand and the pin in her left, staring intently at Eric's group.
At this moment, the people beside Eric looked at Lami in panic.
In this instant, they swallowed hard, feeling like they had walked past the gates of hell.
They looked at Merlin with fear.
Merlin was truly ruthless, killing eight people just like that over a disagreement.
Merlin looked at Eric and said softly: "Brother Eric, I've never had any ill will towards you. I just want to escape this place alive.
"But in this world, there are always some damn ingrates who bite the hand that feeds them.
"You're not that kind of person, right?"
Eric smiled bitterly and raised his hands. "I'm definitely not that kind of person."
Merlin nodded. "I believe you're not."
Saying this, Merlin looked at the three people behind Eric. "You guys come over!
"Now there's someone to take the Amber Lead Syndrome for you."
Saying this, he walked to Alphos, who was lying on the ground with a terrified face, entering a dying state.
Seeing they didn't dare to move, Merlin tilted his head and asked in confusion:
"Don't you want to be cured?"
As soon as these words came out, the three swallowed and hurried over with fear in their eyes.
Before long,
Merlin absorbed the Amber Lead calamities from their bodies and transferred them to Alphos.
Then Merlin reclaimed the injury calamity, but stabbed him again with the dagger.
Thus, this guy who spontaneously thought he could bully Merlin because he had more people, died with his eyes wide open, unreconciled.
Merlin's gaze was calm. He looked at Eric and the others:
"Tonight we will escape this cage of Flevance. After we escape, we will part ways!
"From then on, what kind of life you want to live and where you want to go will be up to you to decide."
Hearing Merlin's words, Eric breathed a sigh of relief, then subtly glanced at the eight dead bodies in the garden.
In his heart, he silently marked Merlin as someone absolutely not to be provoked.
Because this guy Merlin gave him a crazy, heart-palpitating feeling.
The kind who kills at the drop of a hat.
Not long after, Merlin led them to Viscount Mela's villa.
Everyone sat in the corner to rest.
Merlin took Yol and Lami to the cave under the rockery.