[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-dawn-walker":3,"chapter-dawn-walker-dawn-walker-chapter-72":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Dawn Walker",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1836935,2443,"Chapter 72: The Underground Rule III","dawn-walker-chapter-72",72,"\u003Cp>---\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You don’t know where you are,\" he said. \"This is underground. You can’t—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sekhmet stepped closer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I know exactly where I am,\" he said quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The second thug grinned, trying to regain control.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then you know the rule,\" he said. \"Whatever happens here, stays here.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sekhmet’s eyes narrowed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes,\" he replied. \"So let’s keep it here.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thugs realized too late that they had not found a hero.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had found a hungry predator looking for an excuse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They attacked together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The knife thug lunged, bare hands now, chaos energy surging into his knuckles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The second thug aimed for Sekhmet’s ribs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sekhmet moved once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He did not dodge wildly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He simply stepped into their range like he owned it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His fist hit the knife thug’s stomach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BOOM!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thug folded like a broken chair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sekhmet turned and struck the second thug’s throat with the edge of his hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>CHOP!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thug gagged, stumbling backward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sekhmet grabbed his collar and slammed him down onto the stone floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>CRACK!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thug’s head bounced once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He went still, groaning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first thug tried to crawl away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sekhmet caught him by the ankle and dragged him back like luggage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Scrrrk...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bat Bat whispered excitedly, \"Old bag drag.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sekhmet ignored it. He crouched between them. His throat burned. His hunger surged. He activated his new control instinctively. He did not want ghouls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not tonight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He chose the outcome.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No infection.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The system did not need to speak. The choice settled into his blood like a switch being flipped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sekhmet leaned down and bit the second thug’s neck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>CRUNCH —Shhk!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Warm blood flooded his mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thug jerked, eyes bulging, then tried to scream.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It came out as a choking gasp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sekhmet drank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Relief hit instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The burning in his throat eased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pressure behind his eyes softened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His muscles felt steady, his mind sharpening like a blade being honed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He swallowed once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Twice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he forced himself to stop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pulled back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blood dripped from his lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Drip...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wiped it with his sleeve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thug shivered, still alive, pale and shaking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sekhmet leaned toward the other thug, who was now whimpering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Please,\" the first thug rasped. \"I— I didn’t—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sekhmet’s eyes were cold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You did,\" he said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He bit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>CRUNCH —Shhk!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More quiet strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He drank just enough. He stopped before death. He pulled back, breathing controlled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both thugs lay there, alive but ruined, staring at him like he was a nightmare they couldn’t wake from.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sekhmet stood. He looked down at them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You will remember this,\" he said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The second thug tried to speak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sekhmet stepped on his hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>CRACK!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thug screamed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sekhmet leaned closer and spoke softly, so only they could hear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If you try to rob anyone again,\" he murmured, \"I will not stop next time.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He lifted his foot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bat Bat stared at the two thugs with interest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Can I eat,\" Bat Bat asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sekhmet shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Not here,\" he said. \"We are not leaving bodies.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bat Bat pouted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Bat sad,\" it muttered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sekhmet walked away, blending back into the crowd, leaving the thugs shaking in a shadow corner with their pride ripped out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one stopped him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one cared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the underground market, violence was a language. Sekhmet had spoken it fluently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He moved deeper into the market, hunger eased but not gone. It would never be fully gone. Not anymore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bat Bat rode his shoulder, eyes wide with fascination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Many stall,\" Bat Bat whispered. \"Many shiny.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sekhmet nodded slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had been here once as a child. That memory felt like a blur compared to what he saw now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The underground had grown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Expanded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was not just a black market.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was an ecosystem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Weapon stalls with blades that hummed faintly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Potion stalls with liquids that glowed too brightly to be safe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beast cages with creatures snarling in darkness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Information brokers sitting behind curtains, selling secrets like candy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A stall selling fake identities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A stall selling real ones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sekhmet passed a table where a goblin was selling \"authentic god-bone fragments.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A customer squinted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How do I know it’s real,\" the customer asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The goblin shrugged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You don’t,\" he said. \"That’s why it’s cheap.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sekhmet’s mouth twitched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bat Bat whispered, \"Honest goblin.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sekhmet murmured, \"That is rare.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He found himself near a section where the crowd was quieter, voices lower. Here, the goods were not loud. They were expensive, dangerous, or both. He saw a man selling nightmare-grade materials.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A woman selling beast cores in sealed jars.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A masked figure selling sealed contracts with unknown terms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sekhmet’s blood eye flickered across them, but he kept his gaze subtle. In places like this, staring could be interpreted as interest, and interest could be interpreted as weakness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He remembered Uncle Ben’s old warning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Do not stare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sekhmet did not stare. He observed like a predator.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bat Bat, unfortunately, had no such discipline.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It leaned forward, eyes shining, and whispered loudly, \"That man has three eye.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sekhmet hissed under his breath, \"Quiet.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bat Bat blinked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I whisper,\" it argued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You whisper like a shouting child,\" Sekhmet muttered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bat Bat looked offended again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I learn,\" it said proudly. \"Child shout. I do too.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sekhmet sighed and kept walking. He did not want to buy anything tonight. He wanted to understand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wanted to map the underground in his mind the way he mapped forests.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because he knew something important. His father had left him with business. Business meant enemies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enemies meant trouble. And trouble often began in places like this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned down a narrower corridor, where lanterns hung lower and the walls were closer. The crowd here was thinner, faces more secretive. The stalls looked older, less polished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sekhmet’s instincts prickled. He slowed, letting Bat Bat’s ears catch sound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bat Bat whispered, \"Quiet place. Good for... sneaky.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sekhmet nodded once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he saw it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A small shop tucked between two cracked stone pillars. Its sign was old wood, nearly black with age, carved with a symbol that looked like a droplet and a fang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No loud vendor shouting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No bright lanterns.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just a faint red glow behind a cloth curtain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sekhmet stopped. His throat tightened again, not from hunger alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From recognition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stepped closer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sign’s letters were faded, but readable if you looked carefully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blood, Sold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sekhmet’s eyes narrowed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bat Bat leaned in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The shop smell good,\" it whispered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sekhmet’s gaze fixed on the curtain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He felt something strange then, something he hadn’t expected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not excitement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suspicion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Who sells blood in the underground.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had always assumed blood was something you spilled, not something you bought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in Null, everything could be a commodity if someone was desperate enough to sell it and someone greedy enough to buy it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sekhmet stood before the curtain, listening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No footsteps inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No chatter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A deep, waiting silence. He lifted his hand. His fingers hovered inches from the cloth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bat Bat held its breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sekhmet’s eyes hardened. \"Let’s check what is inside,\" he said before he stepped inside the blood shop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bat Bat added, \"Let’s go. I smell good thing. I feel hungry.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(Note: Please give your golden tickets to show some support. Read the Ant lord and Void lord books. If are are interested. Thank you.)\u003C\u002Fp>",1220,"2026-06-09T06:31:32.937Z",1,"novelbin.me","cf3f8351b767c7e16d75ae820895e78b464b37c8425cc6802b004a6852ace88a","dawn-walker-chapter-73","dawn-walker-chapter-71",359,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fdawn-walker-cover.jpg"]