Chapter 292: Effective Techniques
The life of an adventurer is not a game for entertainment.
Every venture into a labyrinth carries the risk of death.
Even if one survives, leaving the labyrinth unscathed is not guaranteed.
A single injury could mean losing the ability to earn a livelihood.
On the Saint Biron Continent, barren and desolate, life outside the labyrinth cities is unsustainable.
Thus, adventurers always make provisions before venturing into the labyrinth.
If they were to become disabled, at the very least, they should have enough money for a ship ticket to leave the Saint Biron Continent.
The fate of the Moonlight Tribe is reflected in the people of these slums.
They linger in these impoverished areas, barely surviving.
The women sell their bodies to sustain themselves.
The men, crippled, limp back into the labyrinth to scavenge loot from other adventurers.
"High levels, but abysmal stats—seems like the body deteriorates without training."
As Li Meng walked through the slums, he scanned the information of its residents.
There were many with mid-level and high-level strength.
Although their levels were high, their attributes were notably low.
Most of their skill levels hovered around level 2.
As for the King level, Li Meng had yet to see one.
But even the worst-off King-level adventurers likely wouldn't be lacking money.
In any strategy team, King-level professionals are the core of the core.
Their earnings far surpass other adventurers.
Even if disabled, they have enough wealth to live out their lives comfortably.
"Boss, someone is following us!"
Amay, who was trailing behind Li Meng, voiced her concern.
The street behind them appeared empty.
But Amay still sensed someone tailing them.
"Don't bother with it."
From the moment they left the tavern, someone had been watching them.
Li Meng deliberately strolled slowly through the slums to give those people time.
Instead of aimlessly searching for the Brotherhood Thieves, it was better to let them come on their own.
"Amay, who do you think those people are?"
Amey, resisting the urge to look back, asked Amay.
After pondering for a moment, Amay shook her head.
"Not sure, but it's probably related to those people the boss dealt with yesterday."
Those people the boss dealt with yesterday?
Amey recalled the events of the previous day.
Although those individuals were eliminated by the boss, they surely belonged to a group.
After what happened yesterday, there hadn't been any immediate repercussions.
This indicated that the group behind those individuals intended to handle it themselves.
"Looks like we're in trouble," Amey said with a sly smile, her eyes gleaming with excitement.
That group had been utterly detestable.
The death of that little girl last night was surely tied to them.
For such cruel and despicable people, death was the ultimate form of salvation.
"Hmph, I'm not scared—our boss will take care of them!"
Amay said confidently, glancing at their leader ahead.
"Speak of the devil—they're here!" Amey murmured as she raised her head slightly to look down the street.
Ahead, a group emerged from the alleys on both sides of the street.
They were adventurers, armed with various weapons and wearing a mix of equipment.
Some wore leather armor, others plate armor. There were staves, swords, axes, and bows among their weapons.
Each one had a malicious look, eyeing Li Meng and his group with bad intentions.
Walking down the dilapidated street, Li Meng halted.
The group ahead also stopped.
Across the thirty-meter gap between them, the two sides faced each other on the street.
"Hey, clown, you're the one who killed Oak and his crew, right?"
The leader of the group stepped forward.
Carrying a large axe on his shoulder, he looked at Li Meng with disdain.
When his eyes fell on Amay and the other two women behind Li Meng, greed flickered in his gaze.
Pointing his axe at Li Meng, he sneered.
"How about this—hand over the three women behind you, chop off one of your arms, and kowtow to us three times. Then, I'll let you leave here alive. Otherwise, my brothers will tear you apart!"
At his words, the men behind him grinned wickedly.
Seeing the gang blocking his path, a trace of disappointment flashed in Li Meng's eyes.
Wasn't the Brotherhood Thieves supposed to be led by a Saint-level powerhouse?
Yet, among these people, the strongest barely had high-level strength.
These useless individuals weren't even worth eating.
Li Meng extended his right hand, wrapped in bandages, from under his black robe.
He raised his finger and aimed it at the group ahead.
There were over thirty of them.
In the next instant, a blue glow of magical energy surged.
A single water arrow shot from his fingertip like a bullet.
It pierced through the forehead of one adventurer, continuing to puncture those in its path.
And it didn't stop there—Li Meng's finger gun transformed into a rapid-fire machine gun.
One water arrow after another shot out, each one piercing a target.
The ambushing adventurers had no time to react as their heads were punctured.
In mere moments, over thirty individuals fell to the ground.
There were no shattered bodies or gory scenes of blood and flesh.
Only lifeless corpses lay on the ground, blood pooling beneath them.
In less than three seconds, only one person was left standing.
It was the leader who had demanded the women from Li Meng.
Vick now stood pale-faced amidst the street strewn with corpses.
Cold sweat streamed down his face like a river.
The terror of death made his entire body tremble.
He never imagined killing could be so effortless.
That man had cast magic without chanting.
And he'd unleashed dozens of spells in an instant.
What kind of monster had he encountered?
"What's your position in the Brotherhood Thieves?" came the voice of the monster.
"L-Lieutenant," Vick stammered.
"What ranks are above lieutenant?"
The monster's voice echoed again.
"Captain, major, vice leader, and leader."
A simple hierarchy.
"Who killed the little girl in front of the tavern last night?"
Vick's face changed at the question. He instinctively took a step back.
That step landed on the head of a corpse, causing him to slip and fall to the ground.
The sticky sensation in his hands made him glance down.
The sight nearly made his soul leave his body.
"It was Vice Leader Mandel. He took a liking to Monica, but she resisted and bit off one of his fingers. In anger, he beat her to death with a whip during his attempts to tame her. I-I only borrowed Monica's corpse…"
A sudden sound broke the air.
With a sharp "whizz," a large water arrow pierced through Vick's head.
His skull shattered like a watermelon, and his headless body collapsed, spurting blood.
Behind Li Meng, the three women stared at him with admiration.
The boss was truly incredible.
This had to be magic.
The boss was indeed a great sage.