Chapter 17: Lost in Wonderland
The situation had turned against Dusk.
He had planned to scare his opponents with a gun, but it seemed they came fully prepared.
The sudden appearance of six armed men in this narrow alley made Dusk suspicious—was there a major criminal hideout hidden here?
Though the odds had shifted, not a hint of fear showed on his face. After all, he'd seen far worse in his life—six pistols were nothing to fear.
"Hey, if you're that good, then shoot me already. What's the point of playing these childish scare games? Don't tell me those are fake guns," he said, voice thick with provocation.
He still had no clue what their true intentions were, so he decided to test their reaction.
"Hmph. You think we're idiots? The police station isn't far from here. If we start shooting, we'll have to move our entire operation," the shopkeeper snorted.
Firing a weapon in the middle of the city wasn't something taken lightly—it would be seen as a direct challenge to the authorities. Even if they were criminals, they weren't dumb enough to dig their own graves.
Dusk noted that, despite his provocation, neither the shopkeeper nor the others showed any hostility toward him. That told him something.
Lowering his weapon slowly, he eased his stance. Upon careful observation, he discerned that they harbored no malice towards him. That was enough for him to let down his guard.
Seeing Dusk's movement, the six men exchanged glances, then nodded and holstered their weapons. They hadn't appeared just to pick a fight, after all.