After Demihof and Antina successfully parted ways, Renith was the first to head back to the firm.
As soon as she stepped into her room, her gaze was drawn to two exquisite, almost artistic-looking gift boxes on the table.
Somewhat puzzled, she walked over and slowly opened them. To her surprise, they contained the very dresses Luo Jiani had so carefully picked out at the shop the other day.
Tucked inside the box was also a note, which read:
“I hope next time I see you, you’ll be dressed beautifully and radiantly, not hiding behind magic.”
Renith couldn’t help but smile wryly, a thousand thoughts flashing through her mind. In the end, though, she accepted these two gifts, filled with such sincere intention. After all, it was a kind gesture from Luo Jiani.
She carefully stored the gifts away in her Codex space. Then, she gently spread out the map of Mobius City that Sennava had given her.
Just as she was about to take a closer look at what other industries Mobius City had, there was a knock on her door.
A flicker of doubt crossed Renith’s mind:
“Is it Antina? But she couldn’t have gotten back this fast. Besides, both she and Vistda have keys, so there’s no need to knock.”
Perhaps because he got no response, the person outside actually took out lock-picking tools and tried to force the lock open.
What he didn’t know was that this room had long been enchanted with a formation by Antina. Anyone trying to enter the law firm through improper means would be punished.
Sure enough, the moment he started fiddling with the lock, he was violently sent flying by the formation, landing with a heavy thud on the ground.
Seeing this, Renith dispersed a few magic particles to briefly sense the intruder’s build.
He was probably a little over one hundred and seventy centimeters tall, with a monocle perched on his face.
Without needing another look, Renith knew exactly who it was: Shequan, the “Running Man” she had met the other day at the entrance of Brand University’s library.
Shequan was clearly caught off guard by the sudden attack, a hint of shock on his face.
But he quickly recovered his composure. Apparently, compared to getting the door open, he had more pressing matters to attend to now.
It was still daytime, and pedestrians on the street were drawn by the commotion. They gathered around, curious to see what had happened to him.
Shequan knew he couldn’t linger here any longer, or he’d achieve the ultimate “social death” in this world, becoming a laughingstock for everyone.
So he scrambled to his feet, hurried to the door, and shouted at the top of his lungs:
“I’ll wait for you at Brand University’s library!”
With that, he scurried off like a startled rabbit.
You had to admit, the guy was dedicated.
It had been ages since Renith left the station, yet he was still tirelessly searching for her. And incredibly, he’d actually managed to find her.
If nothing else dragged her into other matters after tonight’s events, she would definitely pay a visit to the “Scholar” branch. After all, she found those Scholar folks quite interesting.
Take Demihof, for instance. His speeches and ideas had significantly changed her view of the Transmigrants. So, there were indeed some among them with lofty ambitions. He was a fighter, even more idealistic than Antina, but with a much clearer goal.
However, Renith couldn’t help but recall Nosask’s words:
“I believe I am burdened with sin, which is why I am here, like most others.”
If what he said was true, then what sin did Demihof commit?
Or take Shequan, who had just knocked on her door. In the instant the formation sent him flying, Renith had keenly sensed the presence of that formless mist. Clearly, he could manipulate this mist to enhance himself. That was truly fascinating.
But for now, Renith couldn’t dwell on these thoughts. She knew she needed to finish organizing her understanding of Mobius City’s situation as quickly as possible.
In the meantime, Antina and Vistda had rushed back.
They had pulled off something earth-shattering today, openly agitating the public to strike and rebel.
Judging by the outcome, their action was a success. Soon, seeds of hope would surely grow into mighty trees on this land.
As soon as she entered, Antina dashed straight into her room and frantically started packing her things.
After the morning’s commotion, this place would eventually be uncovered by reporters and the police. She needed to be prepared to avoid getting caught up in unnecessary trouble.
Seeing this, Vistda didn’t linger by the entrance either. He recalled the story Demihof had just told them, reflecting on its lessons while he began packing his own belongings.
This continued until midnight, when the entire firm fell silent.
Antina and Vistda had gone to rest, and it was just about time for Renith to act.
She donned her apprentice mage robe and, using wind magic, landed lightly on the rooftop with the grace of a bird.
She traversed the rooftops quickly, and before long, she arrived at the meeting point agreed upon with Sennava: the Bolan Gun Manufacturing Factory.
By now, forty gang members were ready. Some were lying prone on the small man-made hillocks outside the Bolan factory. At their Third-in-Command’s signal, they would launch a surprise attack, catching the enemy off guard.
Renith easily found the Third-in-Command of the Martell Gang. Overjoyed to see her, he was just about to order the troops to prepare for an attack in five minutes, signaled by gunfire. But Renith stopped him.
“Although I don’t know the full situation, one thing is very clear to me,” Renith said, looking around with a furrowed brow.
The Third-in-Command mimicked her action, his eyes wide, but he couldn’t see anything amiss. He looked at her, utterly bewildered.
“There’s a group of people behind us. We’re surrounded. Someone must have leaked information,” Renith stated gravely.
“About fifty of them opposite us. Plus the guards stationed inside the factory, that makes around a hundred in total – double our number. Probably six or seven of them are equipped with those automatic-firing guns.”
The Third-in-Command’s expression changed. He quickly swallowed the orders that were on the tip of his tongue. If what Renith said was true, giving the order now would only hasten the Martell Gang members’ demise.
“Get Kores here. Keep it quiet… Actually, never mind. Give Kores two grenades. No! Take all the grenades, and tell him to…”
The Third-in-Command looked at Renith, his eyes pleading for help. She was his lifeline in this crisis.
“If he’s truly capable, have him deliver the grenades to the guard unit stationed behind the factory, at about two hundred and thirty meters, in the three o’clock direction. Also, one person moving alone is a smaller target and safer. No need to send extra people.”
“Did you hear that?” the Third-in-Command ordered his subordinate nearby.
The subordinate didn’t dare delay. To avoid making noise, he crawled forward on the gravelly ground.
Thanks to the darkness and his dark camouflage, he luckily wasn’t spotted and reached the hiding spot of Kores’s gang unit.
“Why deal with them that way? I mean, why throw grenades there?” the Third-in-Command asked carefully, his eyes full of confusion.
“Because that’s where they’re most concentrated and have the heaviest firepower… The enemy commander is probably there. Based on how Mobius City’s police and guards usually operate, they’d prioritize protecting the leader,” Renith explained patiently.
“And we go for the leader – that’s the simplest way to break the deadlock. Once we take the gun factory, we can use it as a stronghold to deal with the unit behind us.”
“But Kores can’t do it alone. We need to provide some cover for him…”
With that, Renith pulled a short wand from her robe.
While she was capable of dealing with the ambushers herself, as the Transmigrants’ saying goes, “soldiers face soldiers, generals face generals, kings face kings.” She needed to conserve her strength for where it would be most useful.
Renith didn’t plan on unleashing any large-scale destructive magic. She just needed to throw a few fireballs to light up the area, show both sides their positions, and guide the flow of the battle.
A small, intense fireball coalesced in Renith’s palm. With a flick of her wrist, it streaked across the night sky like a meteor, roaring precisely towards the ambush position at the six o’clock direction.
Before it even hit the ground, the fireball exploded in mid-air. The blazing light and deafening blast instantly shattered the night’s silence, jangling everyone’s nerves.
The Third-in-Command quickly issued orders: “Six o’clock direction, everyone, listen up! Open fire, but only symbolically! Don’t worry about killing, just draw their fire!”
The Martell Gang members followed suit, and immediately, gunfire erupted in a continuous roar. The guards at the six o’clock position reacted swiftly. The moment they heard the shots, they raised their submachine guns and sprayed wildly in the direction of the sound.
Bullets rained down like a torrent. Even after emptying one magazine, they seemed reluctant to stop, showing signs of continuing their barrage.
Although this sudden hail of bullets didn’t kill any Martell Gang members, quite a few suffered injuries of varying degrees.
Out here in the suburban wilderness, hiding spots were scarce – just a few low slopes and sparse factory buildings.
The guards seemed well-versed in the art of “suppressive fire.” Wherever they spotted something suspicious, they unhesitatingly hosed it down with bullets.
Under this intense firepower, many Martell Gang members were forced out of their hiding places.
As for the police behind the guards, perhaps due to the dim light, or perhaps because they had never received proper shooting training, their accuracy was abysmal. They rarely hit their targets.
Watching this scene, Renith couldn’t help but feel a bit exasperated, muttering to herself:
“Well, this is truly a battle of equals!”
By now, the skirmish at the six o’clock position had captured everyone’s attention.
Using her “Mage’s Eye,” Renith’s gaze pierced the darkness, clearly spotting Kores’s figure.
Looking at his burly build, she found it hard to imagine this seemingly rugged man could move with such stealth and precision.
Moreover, Renith felt that this Kores guy looked strangely familiar, as if she’d seen him somewhere before.
At that moment, Kores had stealthily made his way right next to the factory building. Two more steps and he would be spotted by the nearby guards. But for him, this was close enough.
He twisted the cap off a grenade. The grenade was slightly larger than a fist. After lighting the fuse and counting a few seconds, Kores flicked his wrist and effortlessly tossed it.
Before the battle, Kores had received rigorous training on grenade use. He remembered every step clearly:
Find a concealed corner, crouch down, and cover your ears tightly.
BOOM!
“Godness Calendar, Year 255, August 4th – This marks the beginning of the rebellion in Mobius City, and also the start of the struggle.”
