Chapter 97: Chapter 96: Guerilla Warfare, Part I
“Retreat!”
“Spread out and get out of here!”
I had already taken notice that Toh was being escorted away by his thirty guards. I was already looking for the timing to make my own retreat and didn’t give chase. As soon as he disappeared, the order came for the rest to retreat. They seemed to know that Toh had gone as well, so they scattered as soon as the order came.
I wasn’t about to chase after all of them, but decided to clean up whoever was still in front of me.
“Why me…?” I plunged my spear into the closest deva.
“Because you’re right there. I’m sorry, but you’re just unlucky,” I said to the fire mage, staring at her deadpanned.
I sighed. I had the choice to completely avoid fighting, but since I did have a small desire to fight them, I left the choice to Toh and Wanhu. They were more likely to choose to fight.
“Well, I might as well finish what I started.” I wasn’t going to just leave Macau the way it was. I planned to make their lives h.e.l.l in their own home, just like the way the Blood Prince did. “I’ll show you how much damage a single worm can do.” I fled the area to where I was sure no one could find me.
After roaming around Macau for about thirty minutes, I found an abandoned building and headed inside.
“Good…not a soul.” I felt no trace of anyone trying to follow me. “It’s a good thing I have Stop Watching Me.” It would have been difficult to escape anyone observing me. “I should still set up a failsafe before I begin my guerilla warfare.” I took out two Blank Warp Scrolls and recorded my location. Then I took out a Warp Scroll Ebonene gave me and ripped it.
I felt my body lift up into the air and in an instant I saw the Myth Guild headquarters.
“Oh! Mr. Lee, is that you?”
“Hi, Mr. Edwifu. It’s good to see you again.”
“I was beginning to miss you when you left two days ago, but it’s good to see you again as well.”
“I’m only back to take care of something. I need to get going again soon.”
“Well, since you’re here, you might as well have dinner with us. I’m sure the guild master and vice-master will like to see you again.”
“Sure, that sounds great.”
I came back to Cairo to set up a Resp.a.w.n Point here. There was every chance that something could go wrong.
The Blood Prince still managed to die at hands of the Myth Guild, even though he used guerilla tactics.
I went up to Shin’s office to greet her and Ebonene. Not long after I entered, Naika burst into the room.
“Guild master! Lee Jiwon just fought against the San Tuan Guild in Ma…huh?” Cairo was eight thousand kilometers away from Macau. In less than an hour, news of the battle had already reached here.
“Mr. Lee!” Naika looked at me as if she saw a ghost.
“Hi, Ms. Naika.”
“The information I just received about you and Toh and Wanhu…”
“It’s all true.”
“What’s going on here?” asked Shin.
“Several days ago, I received an invitation from Toh and Wanhu. It was a bait to lure me into their trap, to use their Swap skill and steal my Stat points. I caught on and went to spring their trap in their faces.”
“So, that was the reason you asked about them?”
“Yes. I needed to know more before going in.”
“Why did you take on such a risk on your own?”
“I was confident. I knew I could foil whatever their plans were. And their bait was…pretty alluring.”
“If we know by now, then the rest of the world will know about your battle against them.”
“But I didn’t…”
“Mr. Lee, you defeated the Blood Prince and seven deities on your own. You are now a rising star with no affiliation to any guild or group. I would expect all eyes to be on you.”
“She’s right. Your name carries weight now. Had you had fought against a normal deva, the news wouldn’t spread like wildfire like this.”
“I…I see.” I began to think I may have gone overboard.
“We already revealed to the rest of the world that the Myth Guild is your ally. If you wish to take the fight to all of the San Tuan Guild, then you have our full support.” The others nodded in agreement with Shin.
“No, that’s alright. I’m thankful for the thought, but I can handle it.”
“Then will you cease this dispute with the San Tuan Guild?”
“From my intel, their pretty livid and don’t seem ready to give in just yet.”
I smiled at what Naika just said. “I’m not ready to stop yet, either. It won’t end until either of us readily gives in.”
“But the San Tuan Guild put Macau on the map. They may not have as many members as other guilds, but they are still a formidable opponent. You’ll be alone…” Naika stopped and looked at me dead in the eyes. “You’re not thinking…”
“I am. You’ve dealt with it before, right? A single man caused you quite a bit of grief. Ah, of course, I don’t mean I’ll do that to you.”
“We’re not worried about that. We know full well how much damage that man caused us. The Blood Prince’s guerilla tactics were…nothing to scoff at,” Shin said, smiling. “Then, are you really planning to employ guerilla warfare in Macau?”
“Yes. As you said, I may be in good faith with the Myth Guild, but I am still a loner. I am their only target. It’s game over for them if they can’t stop me. They also have a lot to lose, don’t you think?”
“True.”
“Besides, I learned a lot about the Blood Prince’s tactics in that report you gave me. I might as well put it all to good use.”
Ebonene then spoke up after listening to the conversation. “You remind me of a child who found a fun toy to play with.”
“Who, me?” I was surprised at what he said. Ebonene didn’t say anything else, however, and stood to the side, smiling.
There was truth to what he said, though; a truth I never thought was possible.
-In the past…I was so weak…but now I’m having fun toying with Toh and Wanhu, who were legends back then?-
Ebonene had to say it for me to finally realize it. I saw Toh and Wanhu the same way a tiger saw a rabbit. I wanted to prove to everyone how strong I was.
“I’m starting to pity the San Tuan Guild.”
“I see you don’t like leaving things undone.” Shin and Ebonene spoke as if the outcome was obvious.
“But, the Blood Prince did so well against large numbers thanks to his Blood Curse. If it’s Mr. Lee, I don’t think…”
“No.” Ebonene cut Naika off. “I’m sure Mr. Lee will make Toh, Wanhu, and the entire San Tuan Guild learn just who exactly they messed with. I expect that the whole thing won’t take longer than a month. All we have to do is kick back and watch a large guild fall. Don’t you think so, Mr. Lee?”
“…” I couldn’t reply right away. Ebonene had a knack for making it seem like he could read people’s minds. “Yes. I should finish… what I started,” I finally replied, confidently. It felt good having him on my side. “That is why I came back after only two days. I wanted to set up a Resp.a.w.n Point here, in case thing go south.”
“I understand. We’ll help you in any way we can. We’re all in this together now.”
After that, we all left for dinner. I returned my quarters that night and took a well-deserved rest. I was going to be very busy from now on.
The next morning, I set up a Resp.a.w.n Point at the Myth Guild’s headquarters. Shin was there as well, to see me off.
I took out a Warp Scroll I made yesterday and used it.
“Do you think it’s possible?” Rumors about what happened in Macau were buzzing all around Cairo.
“I do. He truly did become stronger after defeating the Blood Prince. I told you, didn’t I; that I believe he had something holding him back all this time?”
“You said that when we first met Lee Jiwon, didn’t you?”
“Yes, that’s right. Whatever it is, it’s slowly breaking. I’m curious as to who will be the one to completely break those chains for him,” said Ebonene.
“We must have been extremely lucky, then, to share a common enemy.”
“We must have, yes.”
Soon, they all returned to their headquarters. Today, the Myth Guild was going to busy once again, if it wanted to become stronger as well.
Back at the abandoned building in Macau, I looked around the surrounding area. “Good, there’s no one here.” It was time to put my plan into action.
It was simple. I just had to hit them where it hurt. I had marked the locations of all of Toh and Wanhu’s casinos, hotels and nightclubs; their three cash cows. I was going to hit all of them and hit them hard.
I waited in the building until night came. At around 10 PM, I left the building and leisurely headed for Macau’s inner city. My first target was the San Tuan Guild’s largest casino, the Tihwa Casino.