Chapter 75: Lure

Lin Ke plans to ambush Harold Andrews.

Spider Tail Alley is the spot Lin Ke deliberately chose for the ambush.

It's not far from the black market, so the street thugs should be able to lure Harold Andrews over.

Don't think Lin Ke handling the street thugs easily means they're weak.

Actually, it's not that the street thugs are weak, but Lin Ke, among first-grade wizard apprentices, is already a strong one among the strong.

Setting aside magic implements and runic items, even a senior third-grade wizard apprentice in their fourth year, let alone a peak third-grade apprentice about to become an official wizard, would only lose or die if they dueled Lin Ke.

In a contest of zero-ring magic, first compare casting time, then compare casting effect.

Whoever can cast magic faster, whoever can wield greater power and stronger function, whoever has the higher chance to win.

Lin Ke can not only cast magic faster, but also maintain several spells active at once.

Normally, to avoid affecting his studies and life, Lin Ke keeps only two spells on standby.

When battle is about to begin, the more spells on standby, the better.

When Lin Ke erupts, he can be called a walking humanoid magic machine gun.

Only when counting his magic implements and runic items does Lin Ke have a weakness.

He still lacks a powerful offensive magic implement.

Built around first-ring-level magic implements—glasses and a vest—plus a few runic items, his defensive system is somewhat outdated and needs an upgrade.

Harold Andrews is certainly still at the level of a first-grade wizard apprentice, not someone Lin Ke would underestimate.

According to Lin Ke's observation, the five street thugs are all second-grade wizard apprentices; dealing with one Harold Andrews is no problem.

Lin Ke rushed ahead to Spider Tail Alley and hid himself.

He isn't worried at all that the street thugs will take the magic stone and flee without doing the job.

What do street loiterers fear most?

It's those scholarly scoundrels.

Wearing gold-rimmed glasses, with a gentle smile, they say they mean no harm, then casually kill you.

Combining the latest map of the West District with the information in his mind,

Lin Ke is confident that the nearby Spider Tail Alley, a small ruin, currently has no surveillance nor intelligent law enforcement puppets.

The gang that originally held Spider Tail Alley was uprooted months ago by the Academy's Law Enforcement Department.

Erm…

The idiot who dared sell a device that shields intelligent law enforcement puppet signals to the Academy is a member of that unlucky gang.

Not long after, Lin Ke spotted the street thugs escorting Harold Andrews toward the nearby ruins.

"How much longer? Are we there yet? If not, I'm not going!"

Harold Andrews, who frequently goes in and out of the black market and knows the West District's street vibe, unafraid of having his kidney ripped out in broad daylight, began to feel uneasy as they went further off course.

He stopped, stepped back a few paces to break free of the thugs' encirclement, and shouted loudly while on guard.

His speed boots activated, and his right hand moved to his waist, ready to attack, defend, or flee as needed.

Just half an hour earlier, after leaving the black market, these few street thugs he'd seen before approached him, saying they had something good to dispose of and asking if he was interested.

Harold Andrews knew that the West District had many low-life street thugs who stole, robbed, dug ruins, or stripped corpses, often coming up with something valuable.

But the street thugs lack the capital to set up stalls in the black market, and unwilling to sell cheaply to vendors—or those gangs—they loiter near the black market, looking for people to sell to.

Harold Andrews had once bought a good item from another group of street thugs.

That item was used for long-distance covert filming; it was extremely concealed and hard to detect. Aside from somewhat blurry image quality, it had no other flaws.

Harold Andrews used that item to secretly film the hateful Linke Grand and the annoying Mo Li Kidman several times, spreading rumors on the forum, stirring up trouble, and never got caught.

Today, Harold Andrews bought several runic items at the black market, having already spent nearly all the magic stone he brought from home and the magic stone he'd accumulated since enrolling through various means.

Suddenly hearing of a chance to snag a bargain, the cash-strapped but urgently needing to arm himself Harold Andrews certainly didn't want to miss it.

So he followed the street thugs to this ruin.

But as they went further off course, Harold Andrews began to doubt whether the thugs actually had any goods, or if they were luring him here with ulterior motives.

The street thugs constantly pull scams—how could Harold Andrews be fooled?

"Brother, what are you afraid of? If we dared do anything to you, you'd end up a corpse in the street by night."

The gang leader laughed loudly, "We're almost there, just up ahead in the alley."

"Spider Tail Alley?"

Harold Andrews frowned upon hearing that, somewhat disbelieving, "The gang that used to be there was completely eradicated—what good could there be?"

Obviously, he'd also heard about what happened in Spider Tail Alley.

The gang leader put on an act of "you haven't seen the world," sneering, "Brother, you just don't get it—those gangs love burying stuff underground. A few days ago, when we were bored, we came over, strolled around, and casually dug up a courtyard. Guess what we found?"

"What?"

Seeing the street thugs show no sign of action, Harold Andrews relaxed a bit and didn't leave right away, asking curiously.

The gang leader looked around, adopting a secretive look that said they'd only speak if no outsiders were near, lowered his voice, and asked, "Have you heard of a shielding device?"

"I have."

Harold Andrews nodded, his curiosity piqued.

A shielding device is a magic implement that can temporarily block intelligent law enforcement puppets.

"We've found a fully functional shielding device!"

The gang leader lowered his voice further and revealed the truth.

This is true; they indeed once found a shielding device in Spider Tail Alley.

What a coincidence, huh?

But that shielding device was already sold off!

The gang leader's tone and expression showed no flaw.

Harold Andrews couldn't help but believe it.

He was also moved.

He stirred up trouble on the academy's 'forum', launching a public opinion attack against Linke Grand, which isn't something you can just do if you want to.

Not only did he need to use a special smart brain capable of anonymous contact and anonymous login to the 'forum', he also had to avoid others and intelligent law-enforcement puppets.

Each time he stirred up trouble, Harold Andrews had to hide in the school building's restroom.

That way, he wouldn't have to worry about being monitored.

If he could have a shielding device, why would he have to endure this suffering?

"Well... alright."

After hesitating, Harold Andrews ultimately couldn't resist the temptation and set out again.

The thugs seemed to consider Harold's feelings, no longer surrounding him, but instead keeping their distance.

At the alley entrance, they were almost there.

(End of chapter)