Chapter 133 - 85: Departure

The massive civil unrest raged until the following afternoon before it gradually subsided.

Paige Summers and Levi Young had already regrouped with Sweetie, Erin Quinn, and Sean Raines.

With Erin Quinn’s unspoken approval, Paige and Sean Raines had reached an agreement to travel to Central City together. For one, it was Paige’s original destination. For another, she wouldn’t be able to rest easy until she had escorted Erin and seen this master she was to apprentice with for herself.

Sean Raines wanted to set off immediately, but Paige Summers insisted on waiting a little longer.

She had spent some time with Marcus Monroe and his crew, and a certain bond had formed. It was one thing for her not to get involved in this conflict, but to leave while the outcome was still uncertain and their fates hung in the balance felt like a betrayal of their friendship.

The only others with them at the camp, besides Flying Eagle’s people, were the support team Howard Everett had left behind. He was a cautious man and would certainly have prepared a final escape route. Paige had never met these people, who had previously only been contacted in secret, so it wasn’t appropriate for her to inquire about the current situation in the city.

Fortunately, Martin Warren arrived.

Paige Summers learned the details of the situation from him.

Graham Monroe’s body had given out prematurely due to the unexpected battle. He was now just barely hanging on.

Shawn Monroe and his forces had been cornered in the eastern part of the Upper District. A number of Graham Monroe’s die-hard loyalists were there. They knew of Graham’s plan and thus remained steadfast in their support of Shawn Monroe as the City Lord.

The Earth Ability Users among them had joined forces, raising tall, thick walls from the ruins to serve as a final defensive line. Their power was not to be underestimated; completely breaching their defenses would require a great deal of time and manpower.

As a result, the fighting was temporarily contained.

In short, Marcus Monroe’s faction had gained the decisive upper hand.

But Martin Warren didn’t seem happy at all.

After Paige Summers asked him to help find her old boss, Woody Warren, and look after him, Martin sighed faintly. "That’s not a problem, of course. But, My darling Paige, the real reason I fought for this errand was to ask you... could you come back to the city?"

Paige Summers froze for a moment, then reacted. "What happened?"

Martin Warren hesitated for a moment before finally speaking his mind. "The Boss... he’s... not quite himself anymore."

"What do you mean?"

"I saw Graham Monroe. He was weak, but not... well, he just kept screaming curses. It was ugly. To put it simply, he thinks the Boss has lost his mind. He said he was going to give him the Dead City, but the Boss refused to his face, only to turn around and start a revolt like this."

Martin Warren’s brow furrowed. "I could tell he was telling the truth. I don’t understand what the Boss was thinking. If that’s what happened, why not just accept it then? We lost a lot of our brothers this time, both killed and wounded... That’s one thing. But there’s also the way the Boss is acting. You know he’s always so serious, but while he was fighting, he was... smiling. It was terrifyingly creepy..."

His description was a heavy understatement. The most vivid scene replayed in his mind.

At one point, four Superpower Users had burst from the shadows to assassinate Marcus Monroe.

Everyone nearby, including Martin, was frantic, rushing to help. But by the time they had dealt with their own opponents, the fight over by Marcus was already over.

The four ambushers had frozen in place, as if turned to clay and stone in an instant.

The Boss walked past them with a smile on his face.

And just as he passed, the four men’s heads violently exploded!

Blood, brains, and bone fragments splattered all over him. And in that state, he walked toward the next wave of enemies...

His expression was cold and ruthless, like an Asura from Hell!

He had never seen the Boss like this before. A deep-seated fear bloomed within him.

’He was about to cry from fear!’

Even after the dust settled, though the Boss was no longer smiling, he radiated an entirely different aura. If Martin had to find a phrase to describe him, perhaps "both righteous and sinister" would be the most fitting.

’But is the Boss that kind of person? Obviously not!’

He felt it was necessary to find someone to talk some sense into him, but Sylas Underwood just gave a knowing smile and refused. As for Howard Everett, forget it. He seemed to think everything the Boss did was perfectly normal!

Unable to find a single ally, Martin Warren fell into a deep melancholy.

Finally, he thought of Paige Summers.

He looked at her earnestly. "We’re friends, right? And I can tell the Boss really values you. Won’t you try talking to him? It’s best to resolve whatever’s bothering him! This can’t go on!" ’I definitely won’t be the only one scared to tears!’

Paige Summers mulled it over for a moment, sidestepping his plea to directly address the other issue. "Actually, I don’t think accepting the Dead City from Graham Monroe would have been a good idea. Think about it, it would have led to endless trouble. Even if he had handed the Dead City over to Marcus and driven out Shawn Monroe, the city would still be full of dissidents and destabilizing elements. Rather than be shackled by them later, it’s better to do what he’s doing now—use the fires of war to burn everything clean. Although there are losses, they’re clearly being kept within an acceptable range."

Martin Warren was smart. He hadn’t thought it through before, but with her reminder, he quickly understood. However, he ignored her evasion and pressed on. "Then what about the Boss acting so strange? What’s that about?"

Paige Summers blinked, a small smile playing on her lips as her gaze drifted toward the Dead City.

’His strange behavior is probably because he was provoked.’

’But I don’t think that’s the whole story.’

’It’s just a gut feeling, but it seems like Marcus Monroe has always been suppressing something.’

’Maybe he just used this as an opportunity to unleash his true nature?’

’There’s no way to know for sure.’

Of course, this was all just her private speculation. It certainly wasn’t something to be said aloud to one of his most trusted men.

’One wrong word, and she’d be on the outs with everyone.’

In the silence, Martin Warren understood her decision. He sighed. "Alright, it looks like I can’t change your mind. So, what are your plans now?"

"Central City."

Paige Summers gave him an apologetic look. Of all of Marcus’s men, Martin Warren had been the first to show her kindness, and he had a good personality. If she could, she would have liked for them to remain friends.

Martin Warren nodded and led her to the edge of the temporary camp. "The Boss figured you wouldn’t come back. He had me bring you some things."

With that, he took out the Space Ring he kept on his person, retrieving a vehicle and supplies from within. He then produced a full bag of Crystal Cores and pressed it into her hands.

Paige Summers was stunned. Forget the vehicle for a moment; the sheer quantity of supplies loaded in it was staggering. In addition to long-haul necessities like sleeping bags and tents, there was a large amount of vacuum-sealed food and the weapon-grade metals she prized most. It was far more than she had expected. And the bag of Crystal Cores... judging by the weight, she knew Marcus Monroe had been incredibly generous.

"This... isn’t this too much?"

Martin Warren shot her a look. "I’ve heard people complain about getting too little, but never too much. This is the payment you’ve earned! And don’t worry, that old geezer Graham Monroe had a huge private stash that now belongs to the Boss. He won’t miss this stuff. You, on the other hand... it’s a long road to Central City, and your group has its share of little ones and weak ones. You have to be careful!"

Paige Summers smiled and let out a breath of relief. "Thank you. And please thank Young Master Monroe for me! Oh, wait!" She gave a playful wink. "Should I be calling him City Lord now?"

Martin Warren shook his head wistfully. "That’s hard to say. From the looks of it, I don’t think the Boss intends to stay... Ah, let’s not talk about it. Anyway, you take care of yourself. I hope we’ll have a chance to meet again."

"We will."

Paige Summers waved goodbye to Martin Warren and put the Crystal Cores away. Looking at the pile of things in the vehicle, she thought for a moment, then left only the absolute necessities out and tossed the rest into her storage space.

She sighed in satisfaction. ’Finally, this thing is coming in handy!’

Once everything was packed up, she called Levi Young and the others over.

After bidding farewell to Falcon Shaw’s people, and with Sean Raines clucking his tongue in admiration at how well Marcus Monroe handled things, the group of four finally set out on the road to Central City.