The Devil's Cage

In fact, the real source of the lightning was the [Lightning Tiger’s Finger] that Kieran had hidden under his sleeve.

It was so well hidden though that the scene had caused Mr. Big a shock. He did not realize the trick Kieran was pulling.

Larry, on the other hand, who was tied down on the chair, had already lost it.

He was looking at Kieran incredulously, as if he was the descendant of Zeus himself.

Kieran laid his hand down in satisfaction after noticing both their expressions.

Before he had gotten back to the barber shop, he had been thinking about what kind of approach he should use to pa.s.s Mr. Big’s test.

If it was too provocative, it would lead to retaliation and end up in a messy fight, which was not the result Kieran was hoping for.

A soft approach would not work either. Considering Mr. Big’s intimidating nature, he might end up joining his side under different terms. The benefits might be higher, but he would still be under his control, which was not what Kieran wanted either.

Therefore, the only way to approach Mr. Big was by compromising.

He had to find a way that would fit his criteria, but would not be provocative enough for Mr. Big to retaliate. It was not an easy feat. Kieran had started to recall every detail of his first meeting with Mr. Big.

"Don’t tell me that the beast attacks are related to Sphendix! I’ve known that for a long time!"

The phrase had made an impression on Kieran, and Mr. Big’s concern over the incident had also been worth remembering. Not only had he sent his men to keep an eye on things, but he had also used the mole he had planted in Sphendix a long time ago. Of course, Mr. Big was not interested in the beast attacks. He was only intrigued because the incidents were related to Sphendix. Kieran was sure that Mr. Big had some inside information regarding the beast attacks, and that information would surely be something the ordinary mind could not conceive.

After all, it was a magic circle ritual. No common mind would be able to understand it, not even Mr. Big’s mind, yet it granted Kieran an entry point inaccessible by common people.

From the looks of it, it was quite effective. Kieran had already found out that Sphendix had a terminal illness and should have died a long time ago.

"If things did not go as they were supposed to, how did they manage it?" Kieran thought about it quietly.

He turned to Mr. Big and said slowly, "While you could not accept the fact that my "leverage" was more than you expected, your old rival accepted the aid of someone like me. Now that they solved their most imminent problem, can you guess who their next target will be?"

At Kieran’s revelation, Mr. Big’s heart instantly skipped a beat.

Who would be Sphendix’s next target? The answer was self-explanatory.

Mr. Big. It could only be Mr. Big.

Mr. Big had mentioned that he treated Sphendix as an arch nemesis that needed to be eliminated, and Sphendix thought of him the same way. If he could get Mr. Big out of the picture, he would gladly do so.

The two behemoths had been competing for the past decade, and both of them were very clear on how the other would behave. Sphendix seemed to have acquired the power to win the war between them.

Mr. Big did not hesitate anymore. He removed the shaving knife from Larry’s neck and made a polite gesture towards Kieran.

"Want to take a look at my real place?" he asked.

"Of course, with pleasure!" Kieran said with a smile.

Larry was the most excited to see Kieran and Mr. Big reach an accord. It meant that he would be freed from his hostage position and the fear and panic of getting killed by Mr. Big or being hunted down by Sphendix.

Larry knew that he would be safe under Mr. Big’s protection. He could not bear to go through another near-death experience. He lay down on the chair, panting heavily.

His breathing sounded like an old broken wind box being pulled.

As Kieran pa.s.sed by him though, he jumped up right away.

"Thank you for everything, Kieran! You are my best friend!" he thanked him sincerely.

[Sub Mission: Unknown Attacker (Completed)]

A completed Sub Mission notification popped up in Kieran’s vision as Larry thanked him. This meant that he would get an additional reward at the end of the dungeon, which made Kieran smile even brighter.

Before he could say anything though, Larry pointed at the cream on his face.

"I think I still have to finish shaving! You two can go ahead without me!" he said.

Although Larry was really curious about what Mr. Big’s place really looked like, as an informant, he knew that some things were better left unknown. This was way out of his league, and so was the conversation Mr. Big and Kieran were about to have.

Mr. Big looked at Kieran in admiration. After all, Larry had just demonstrated that he knew his own limits.

Larry grinned widely at Mr. Big. Kieran was sure that if he’d had a tail, he would have been wagging it non stop.

Larry stayed at the front of the barber shop to finish shaving while Mr. Big led Kieran to a room at the back of the shop.

The room looked like a storeroom, but turned out to be an elevator. The elevator was right there, without any further cover-ups.

"If an enemy has made it this far, a cover-up will be useless anyway," Mr. Big said.

Kieran nodded, although he did not really buy it.

Any normal person would value their house the most, even more so a gang leader. If it was possible, they would built their house in the world’s safest place, and the interior would be even more dangerous than the exterior, even though it would look safe.

The elevator door opened with a clear sound.

Mr. Big and Kieran entered the elevator together and started to descend.

The weightlessness made Kieran frown unconsciously. He had experienced it every time he entered a dungeon, and the familiar feeling caused mixed emotions inside him.

He felt disgusted and repulsed, yet also excited at the same time. He was torn about what he was feeling.

"My feelings are like a separate human being!" Kieran commented.

His emotions flashed over quickly though, so Mr. Big did not notice anything odd.

When the elevator door opened again, Mr. Big went out first.

He welcomed Kieran like a host would his guest, "Welcome to my underground palace!"