Chapter 140: Another Victim
Morning arrived.
Kai stood outside the training grounds.
Arms crossed.
Waiting.
Andrew never came.
...
An hour passed.
Nothing.
Kai sighed.
"...Maybe he's training."
He looked toward the massive arena.
Taai was still there.
Punching.
Lifting.
Throwing gigantic stone blocks around like toys.
Exactly where Kai had left him yesterday.
"..."
"...Does he ever stop?"
Nobody nearby answered.
Probably because nobody knew.
Lunch arrived.
Kai waited.
Still no Andrew.
He bought himself lunch instead.
A meat skewer.
Two pieces of bread.
A drink.
He sat beneath a shaded awning.
"..."
"...Maybe he forgot."
By dusk—
Kai had his answer.
A familiar voice yawned behind him.
"Ahhh..."
Andrew stretched his arms.
Then noticed Kai.
"...Oh."
Kai stared.
Andrew stared back.
Silence.
Then Andrew scratched the back of his head.
"...I forgot."
Kai slowly blinked.
"...You forgot."
"Yeah."
"...The whole day?"
"...Yeah."
Kai sighed.
"...Unbelievable."
Andrew looked genuinely apologetic.
"...My bad."
Kai pointed toward the training grounds.
"Taai has literally been training since this morning."
Andrew glanced over.
Taai was still lifting absurdly heavy weights.
"...Yeah."
"...That's normal."
Kai decided not to question Muscle City anymore.
It was bad for his sanity.
The two finally left together.
They walked through the western districts.
Compared to Asphyxia—
Muscle City felt louder.
Busier.
Every street contained either a gym...
A weapons shop...
Or somewhere people were fighting for fun.
Andrew stopped beside a food stall.
Bought roasted nuts.
Then another stall.
Bought grilled meat.
Then another.
Bought fried potatoes.
Kai raised an eyebrow.
"...You just ate."
Andrew shrugged.
"I got hungry."
"You were eating."
"I know."
Kai bought a meat bun.
"...This city explains a lot."
Andrew grinned.
"Told you."
The two continued walking.
Eating as they went.
Then—
A scream echoed across the district.
"AAAAAAAHHHHH!"
Andrew stopped chewing.
Kai looked up.
Another scream followed.
People began running.
Guards immediately rushed toward the sound.
Andrew's expression changed instantly.
"...That's bad."
Without another word—
Both of them ran.
By the time they arrived—
The street had already been sealed.
Guards pushed civilians back.
Several people looked pale.
Others refused to look.
Kai stepped closer.
Then saw it.
A body.
Still warm.
Fresh blood spread across the stone road.
The victim wore official clothing.
Judging from the insignia—
Some kind of government officer.
Kai crouched.
The wounds immediately caught his attention.
Clean.
Precise.
Several deep slashes.
No hesitation.
No wasted movement.
Almost surgical.
Andrew had already moved toward a nearby witness.
"So what happened?"
The terrified man swallowed.
"I..."
"I only heard footsteps..."
"Then..."
"...he just..."
The witness pointed toward the body.
"It happened so fast."
"I never even saw the attacker."
Andrew frowned.
Kai remained beside the corpse.
Something...
Felt wrong.
He reached toward one of the cuts.
His fingers brushed the edge.
A headache struck.
Not painful.
Just...
Sharp.
White.
A single fragment surfaced.
A battlefield.
Steel flashed.
A curved blade moved faster than sight.
Then—
One word.
"Dangerous."
Nothing else.
The memory vanished immediately.
Kai pulled his hand away.
"..."
His heartbeat had quickened.
Whatever made those wounds...
His memories recognized it.
Even if he didn't.
He quietly stepped back.
Andrew returned a moment later.
"Another assassination."
Kai looked at the body again.
"This time..."
"It was an official."
Before Kai could respond—
Someone farther down the street screamed.
"WE FOUND THE ASSASSIN—"
The voice stopped.
Abruptly.
Like someone had cut it off.
Silence.
Andrew's eyes sharpened.
"...Move."
He exploded forward.
One step—
Then he was already halfway down the street.
Kai's eyes widened.
"...Fast!"
He immediately sprinted after him.
The chase had begun.